VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Police Department is investigating a possible hate crime after an Indo-Canadian security guard was violently assaulted and robbed at a building in Yaletown in downtown Vancouver.
The 26-year-old guard, who was described as a South Asian/Indo-Canadian, was repeatedly kicked and punched in the early morning of Aug. 4. He had been guarding his post in the lobby of a residential building on the 500-block of Pacific Boulevard.
The VPD Hate Crimes unit has also become involved because of comments that were overheard during the assault.
The guard, who is from Surrey, had asked a small group of people who were being loud to either move from the area or come inside when he was attacked by one of the men in the group, according to police. The man also took the guard’s wallet and cell phone.
But one of the men didn’t leave. He started to knee the security guard in the face and then pummeled him for several minutes, leaving him bleeding on the ground with several chipped teeth. His wallet and cell phone were also stolen.
“This was an extraordinarily violent incidence. The security guard should be okay, but he endured quite a beating,” says Cst. Jana McGuinness, who points out the case is now in the hands of hate crime investigators.
“Some of the information we have since received indicates that some comments were made during the beating,” she adds.
The security guard was badly hurt but is going to make a full recovery.
“Seeing the assault on video was very disturbing,” said Const. Jana McGuinness. “This is not a minor assault; this is a significant, violent assault.”
According to police, the assault was so violent that two Good Samaritans were moved to intervene and call police. They later waited with the guard until police arrived and he was taken to hospital for treatment.
On Tuesday, Police released images of the potential witness to the alleged beating and robbery of the on-duty guard, a 26-year-old Surrey resident.
The VPD are asking the public to help them identify a person who may have witnessed an allegedly violent attack on a security guard in early August.
Investigators are hoping to contact the man “to help move the case forward”, according to a release.
Police have released surveillance images from the night of the attack, and anyone with information about the identity of the man pictured is asked to call Vancouver Police at 604-717-2541 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
