Police are still looking for more witnesses of an unprovoked assault last month which left a Vancouver man with permanent brain damage.
The 34-year-old victim was walking home with his wife and some friends along Granville Street at about 2:40 a.m. on Oct. 25. Police say they passed two groups of men, outside the Roadhouse Bar, and a pair of limousines parked on Smithe Street – a black Lincoln Town Car limousine and a white Ford Excursion SUV limousine.
Police say the two groups were involved in a confrontation over hiring one of the limos, but for some reason their attention turned to the victim walking with his wife, who were in no way associated to these men.
Police say the victim was then punched in the face and knocked unconscious. When he fell, he struck his head on the concrete, causing severe injuries and brain damage.
He was rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery to relieve the pressure in his head and a portion of his brain tissue was removed.
Police did arrest a 23-year-old man in his Coquitlam home on Nov. 18 for the assault. He has since been released on a promise to appear, pending further investigation.
The victim remains in hospital and continues to undergo medical treatments and procedures.
Police believe some witnesses of the alleged assault provided first aid and comfort to the victim as he lay on the ground, waiting for an ambulance. One of these potential witnesses who police have not been able to speak with was a young woman, described as possibly having a prosthetic leg.
Detectives have not completed their investigation but are hoping the woman as well as the two limousine drivers, will now come forward. Police say even the smallest details may help their investigation.
WATCH: Cst. Brian Montague speaks with Global News about ‘one-punch’ assaults and the growing number of deaths and life-changing injuries
Vancouver police Cst. Brian Montague says they have seen a number of these “one-punch incidents” recently.
“We’ve seen about 10 in Vancouver this year that have resulted in some serious injuries and even some deaths, so we’re concerned about them and we’re seeing more than we usually do and like I said, they’re preventable. Just by thinking about the consequences beforehand.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the VPD Major Crime Section at (604) 717-2541.
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