A violent week in Vancouver continued with an armed road rage incident leading to a strong police response.
According to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), a report came in about an incident near Fraser Street and East 45th Avenue around noon on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
“The victim reported she was driving and slowed down for a speed bump, prompting a male driver behind her to begin tailgating,” said VPD in a release.
“The man then passed her on the left, stopped in front of her vehicle and approached her window. She alleged he produced what appeared to be a black handgun and pointed it at her before driving away.”
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Officers were able to locate the road rage suspect vehicle parked near Knight Street and East 57th Avenue shortly thereafter with the help of responding surveillance and the VPD Emergency Response Team (ERT).
“A man matching the description of the suspect was walking away from the vehicle. Officers observed the man discard an object in the west lane of Knight Street, near East 57th Avenue.
“The man returned to the parked vehicle and drove away. ERT members successfully disabled the vehicle about a block away and took him into custody without incident.”
Officers were able to recover a BB gun in the laneway at the location where they had observed the man discarding an item.
Near where the incident took place. (Google Maps)
“This was a frightening ordeal for a driver simply going about her day,” said Constable Darren Wong in a statement. “Thanks to the quick response and action of our officers, we were able to safely take the suspect into custody and recover the weapon.”
Forty-five-year-old Rahat Arshad Ali has been charged with assault with a weapon, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence stemming from the road rage incident.
Ali remains in custody awaiting a bail hearing.
The incident comes just one day after a 35-year-old male was found with serious injuries after what the VPD is calling a “mallet attack” that occurred downtown at around 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 20.
According to the department, two men are in custody and facing “potential” robbery charges after the early morning downtown attack.
Police responded to a report of an assault with a hammer near West Cordova and Richards streets. When officers arrived on the scene, they located the 35-year-old man suffering from head bruising, injuries to both hands, and a bloody nose.
Google Maps
Four people were also injured in a stabbing early Saturday morning just before 3 a.m. at a nightclub in the Granville Entertainment District in Vancouver.
VPD officers responded to reports of a stabbing at a bar on Granville Street near Smithe Street, and witnesses reported that an altercation began inside the establishment, which involved three male patrons.
All three sustained stab wounds from what the VPD says was an unidentified suspect.
Police say that a male employee of the bar was involved in the altercation and injured while attempting to intervene.
All four individuals were transported to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries following the Vancouver stabbing. Responding officers were able to administer first aid on the scene until paramedics arrived.