A 46-year-old man was arrested this week following a random attack rampage that culminated in a stabbing.
Vancouver Police Department chief constable Adam Palmer said at a press conference Thursday that the same individual had been recently released from jail and failed to report to his probation officer on Wednesday.
After the suspect, Kent Meades, failed to appear, police received multiple calls about random violent assaults in downtown Vancouver.
At 8:40 a.m., Vancouver police received a report of an attack near Seymour and West Cordova. That was followed by another attack, shortly after.
“Minutes later, a 911 caller reported that a man had entered a coffee shop near Harbour Centre. There was a disturbance causing a glass window to be broken and making customers fear for their safety,” said Palmer.
Two hours later the same suspect began chasing a person with a knife near Main Street and Prior Street, police say.
The man then went on to stab a 61-year-old victim before finally being arrested around noon. The victim was treated for minor injuries.
According to Palmer, Meades has a history with law enforcement, even serving time in prison in Thailand, while he was a tourist.
“We believe he has previously spent time in Surrey and Delta after returning to Canada from Thailand in 2022, where he spent time in custody overseas for multiple offences, including breaking into a bank, causing damage inside of that premises, and overstaying his tourist visa,” said Palmer.
It’s unclear whether probation officers thought Meades was a threat to public safety and what their reasoning behind his release was. Meades was released from jail after serving time for “uttering threats against his own family members and also against prominent federal politicians.”
On the same day that Meades went on his spree, police also received a report of a random assault on a woman.
Meades is facing charges of assault with a weapon, assault and uttering threats. More charges are expected, police say.
