A man accused of attacking a stranger with an axe in Vancouver on Tuesday was released on bail within hours, despite being on probation for an unrelated crime.
On Tuesday at approximately 12:30 p.m., officers conducting a foot patrol near the intersection of East Hastings and Main Street were approached by a 50-year-old male exhibiting facial bleeding.
The individual reported being assaulted with a small axe by an unknown assailant, who subsequently stole his sunglasses. The victim sustained minor injuries as a result of the incident.
Officers quickly located and arrested the suspect nearby.
Steven Henry Hall, 30, has been charged with robbery and breach of probation for the axe attack.
Hall possesses an extensive criminal record. During his early to mid-twenties, spanning 2017 to 2021, he was subject to multiple court appearances pertaining to a range of charges.
These charges encompassed assault with a weapon, theft, mischief, break and enter, resisting arrest, and numerous violations of probation orders.
While Vancouver police say stranger attacks have gone down in recent years, they still remain fairly common.
As previously reported by True North, the Vancouver Police Department has said there are typically up to two stranger attacks per day in their jurisdiction.