A 24-year-old man was attacked with what witnesses believed was a metal pipe late on Saturday, Oct. 2 in Nanaimo's downtown core. He suffered head and facial injuries from the attack. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

ATTACK

Nanaimo homeless man attacked with metal pipes in unprovoked assault

Oct 5, 2021 | 9:20 AM

NANAIMO — Local Mounties are investigating after a 24-year-old homeless man was beaten with what’s believed to be metal pipes or bats.

Police said the attack occurred prior to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 midway down Museum Way in downtown Nanaimo. The victim was taken to hospital with head and facial injuries. Witnesses said the man was sitting on the street an hour prior when three other men unknown to him approached.

RCMP Cst. Simon Gallimore said two of the suspects began beating the victim with hard objects, describing the assault as a cowardly attack against a defenceless man.

“One of the angles that we’re looking at is that it may have been directed at this person because he is or appears to be a street person,” Gallimore told NanaimoNewsNOW.

He said the suspects were seen running toward Gordon St., where they got into a black minivan and took off toward Terminal Ave.

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The victim was held in hospital for at least one night and has since been released, according to Gallimore. He said police interviewed the injured man, but more information will be required from him since he was still disoriented.

These kinds of crimes can lead to challenging investigations, Gallimore said, emphasizing help from witnesses they haven’t heard from or area video footage could be useful.

“Attacks by strangers are definitely hard to quantify until we get suspects in custody and gather all of the evidence.”

Police are looking for any information on the attackers from additional witnesses or dash cam and security video from Museum Way, Commercial St., Terminal Ave. and Gordon St. between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345, quoting file number 2021-37118.

Gallimore said there is no evidence to suggest this incident is linked to a separate attack against a homeless man in Nanaimo’s Long Lake area on July 10, where a man was run over by a vehicle and assaulted.

That case remains unsolved and is the subject of an active investigation, he said.

“Any attack on any identifiable member of our community is definitely very disturbing and something we want to get to the bottom of.”

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