Photo via Vancouver Police handout
Drunk men in Vancouver are sucker punching strangers in the head and so far three of the victims have died.
Vancouver police held a news conference about the trend Thursday, following the latest incident which has left a 34-year-old Richmond man hospitalized with a severe brain injury.
Police said the man was walking with his wife in the Granville St. entertainment district at around 2:40 AM Oct. 25, when he encountered two groups of men arguing on the street in front of a couple of limos. One of the men turned and punched him, completely unprovoked, said Const. Brian Montague.
"He was rendered unconscious before he hit the ground, hit his head on the way down, suffered a brain injury as a result," Montague told reporters. "This is someone getting hit one time, a sucker punch."
Part of the victim's brain tissue was later removed; the cops say he will suffer from lifelong injuries. A man in his 20s was arrested but later released. Police are looking for other witnesses to come forward.
Montague said there have been 10 similar incidents in Vancouver this year and that investigators are "seeing more of them." Some are completely random, others have followed minor disputes. They've resulted in serious injuries, comas and death.
A 60-year-old man died after being punched in the head downtown in August.
Montague said the perpetrators are generally drunk men, many from the suburbs, who've travelled downtown to party—and get into fights.
"It's other young men who have generally had a little bit too much to drink and little bit too much bravado, who aren't thinking clearly and don't realize that their actions have serious consequences," he said.
"It's something that's very disturbing to us, something we feel is preventable."
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