VPD investigates after driver injured in unprovoked assault

Vancouver Police are investigating after a driver was injured during a violent and unprovoked assault by a panhandler earlier this month.

"We are extremely concerned by the random nature of this assault, which occurred in the middle of the day on a busy downtown street," says Sergeant Steve Addison, VPD. "We want people to be aware of this incident, and to contact us if they can identify the suspect."

The frightening incident occurred around 1 p.m. on August 6, as a 25-year-old man was driving on West Georgia Street, near the Vancouver Art Gallery. A panhandler approached the front of his car, blocked his path forward, and started behaving erratically while asking for money.

"The suspect stood in front of the victim’s car, gestured aggressively, then began screaming at the driver," adds Sergeant Addison. "The driver managed to manoeuver away. That’s when the suspect allegedly hurled a bottle through the driver’s window and struck him in the head."

The driver, who was injured during the incident, called 9-1-1 and turned dash-cam video over to police.

The suspect is a white man, five foot eight, and slim. He was wearing a teal-coloured hoodie, loose-fitting jeans, and had unkempt hair.

VPD investigators have not been able to identify the suspect, and given the violent nature of the assault, are turning to the public for help.