Man with history of violence, mental health issues, charged with slashing Vancouver police officer's leg

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) says an officer is recovering from serious injuries after being slashed in the leg while patrolling the Downtown Eastside on Tuesday night. 

In a statement, police said two officers were walking in the area of East Hastings and Main streets just after 7 p.m. when one of them was approached from behind and "slashed on the leg with an edged weapon."

The suspect fled the area on foot but was located and arrested minutes later near East Cordova and Main streets.

The injured officer received emergency first aid and was rushed to the hospital. He has since been released and is recovering at home, police say.

'Suddenly and randomly'

At a news conference on Wednesday, Const. Tania Visintin spoke out about the violence and the "unpredictable nature of police work."

"This was completely unexpected. It happened suddenly and randomly," she said of the attack.

Police say 29-year-old Solaris Onatta Running Dey has been charged with aggravated assault of a police officer and assault of a peace officer with a weapon.

Dey remains in custody until his next court appearance.

Court records show Dey was convicted in 2020 of manslaughter in the strangulation death of a woman whom police said he knew.

In 2021, Dey was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, with a lifetime ban on possessing guns, restricted weapons, crossbows, and explosives.

At the time of his sentencing the judge said he had diagnoses for schizoaffective bipolar disorder and substance induced psychotic disorders from multiple substances including hallucinogens, crystal meth, cocaine and crack cocaine.

Visintin was questioned on Wednesday about the circumstances of Dey being in the Downtown Eastside. She said it should be directed to other levels of government.

"Sometimes, we deal with people that are violent, and we do what we have to do, including writing up a very detailed report to Crown counsel ... and ask for the appropriate conditions or remand," she said.

"As a police force, we are doing our part, and I think that is a bigger conversation for more levels of government."

At an unrelated news conference in Victoria, Premier David Eby expressed empathy for the injured police officer, "and to everybody who relies on safe and accessible streets in the Downtown East Side and in downtown Vancouver."

He was asked about whether an election promise of an involuntary care system, which would house people with mental health and addictions issues in secure facilities under the Mental Health Act could help prevent violence like this.

Eby said work was ongoing under Dr. Daniel Vigo — B.C.'s first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders — to clarify the legal parameters to holding people under the act in centres.

"The work to identify these individuals who are a threat to themselves, to other people — proactively before there's an incident — is a key part of his work," said Eby.

Eby said the first correctional centre with treatment services will be at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre and is slated to open by the end of the month.

A second site — the first secure housing and care facility — will be on the grounds of the Alouette Correctional Centre (Monarch Homes) in Maple Ridge and would open shortly afterwards, said Eby.