Meal-delivery worker stabbed in Vancouver's Chinatown recounts attack
Vancouver police has charged a 43-year-old man with aggravated assault in the incident
UPDATE, Jan. 4, 2024 — Dennis Prasad was sentenced to five years in prison on Jan. 3, 2024, after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated assault. After receiving credit for time already served, Prasad's sentence was reduced to 1,106 days behind bars.
ORIGINAL STORY:
WARNING: This story contains details of violence that some readers may find disturbing.
A meal-delivery worker is recovering from life-threatening injuries after he was attacked in Vancouver's Chinatown.
Hamid Habibi, a newcomer to Canada, says he is still traumatized by the event but doesn't want family in Afghanistan to worry.
At around 6 p.m. on Sept. 11, the 22-year-old was locking his bicycle near Gore Avenue and East Pender Street to deliver an order when he was stabbed multiple times, suffering wounds in his neck, chest and back shoulder.
"The guy was standing in the corner of the street and I went over to look for the building, how to get in," Habibi told CBC's Anita Bathe.
"This guy was looking in his pockets and checking the streets if somebody was there. He came back from behind and I was locking the bike and I saw the knife. I turned to my left and this guy started attacking me with the knife.
"At the time I was bleeding but this guy ran away, and a lady, she's screaming, 'You are bleeding, your neck.' All my clothes were [covered] in blood and my shoes, everything," said Habibi, who has a long scar down the left side of his neck.
"I don't remember most of this accident because it was so fast and I was in shock and I was also scared."
The next day, Vancouver police charged 43-year-old Dennis Amanand Prasad with aggravated assault following an investigation. Prasad is currently in custody.
Nursing student Klara McCallum was the woman who saw Habibi.
She gave him first aid before the ambulance arrived, and later set up a GoFundMe page for Habibi, which has since raised over $30,000.
"It means a lot," Habibi said in a separate interview with On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko. "I was worried that time when I was in hospital I was thinking I was doing my job and this accident happened."
Habibi fled from Afghanistan to Germany in 2015, where he lived for seven years before coming to Vancouver five months ago.
He says it hasn't been easy getting in touch with his family.
"They are worried about this accident … but I say I am fine, I don't want to make them worried," he said.
"I have hope, I have faith I am going to recover and I want to stand up on my feet and be an active person in society."
DoorDash, the food delivery service Habibi had been working for at the time of the attack, said it was "absolutely appalled by this senseless act of violence.
"We are reaching out to Mr. Habibi to offer our thoughts and support. The crime committed against Mr. Habibi is horrible and we hope the perpetrator is held accountable. We have contacted law enforcement to assist with their investigation in any way we can."
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