Mounties say a man was attacked along Seventh St., near Douglas Ave., on Monday afternoon in an apparently unprovoked assault. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

random attack

Nanaimo man injured in ‘unprovoked assault’ in city’s south end

May 13, 2026 | 11:52 AM

NANAIMO — Mounties in Nanaimo are trying to identify an individual who allegedly attacked a man in Harewood.

The incident, which police are calling “an unprovoked attack,” occurred Monday, May 11, at around 3 p.m. on Seventh St., near Douglas Ave. and saw an adult man hit from behind as he was walking.

Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien said it doesn’t appear the victim did anything to provoke or initiate any sort of altercation with the attacker.

“An individual came up behind him and hit him with an unknown object. It appeared to be a blunt object, and it caused him to fall to the ground. At one point, the suspect allegedly produced a knife as well, although there’s no indication that the knife was used in the assault.”

The suspect then fled the scene, while the victim was later treated for injuries consistent with being hit in the back of the head with a blunt object.

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Due to the nature of the injuries, they have yet been able to provide a complete description of their attacker.

The victim was able to provide a partial description, but it’s not enough for police to release to the public yet.

“It’s got to be accurate information, because if we put the wrong information out, people will be looking for that person,” O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW. “We’re going to wait for a bit, let the individual recover, and then go back and get a more detailed description of the possible suspect.”

O’Brien added their investigation continues.

“We’ve hit the nearby homes and the businesses, we haven’t been able to get any viable CCTV footage yet. We’re asking the public to please check their dash cams if they saw anybody walking in that area between 2:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., please give us a call. It may mean nothing to you, but it may be related to the incident.”

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250 754 2345.

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by Alex Rawnsley

Nanaimo man injured in ‘unprovoked assault’ in city’s south end

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