A 60-year-old Vancouver woman says she was the victim of a random assault in the Downtown Eastside.
Bethan Jones told Global News that at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, she had just picked up groceries at No Frills to make sandwiches for the homeless when she crossed East Hastings Street and Clark Drive.
She said a man walking east confronted her.
“I was talking to somebody on my phone; he turned around and he used profanity,” Jones said, “and then … he turned around and he just went smash.
“Then he’s like right up in my face and then he just slammed right into me.”
Jones said the suspect took off, screaming self-defence.
Luke Gaskin, who owns Good Old Wood, witnessed the incident and said it was definitely not a case of self-defence.
He followed the suspect until police arrested him a few blocks away.
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“He was trying to say that she said something to him,” Gaskin said.
“She was just trying to explain that she was on her phone and then, yeah, he just clocked her with the right hand.”
Jones went to the hospital and ended up with a badly bruised cheekbone.
Kurtis Hummer, 36, was charged with assault causing bodily harm and was released hours later on conditions, including that he stay away from East Hastings Street between Vernon and McLean Drives and have no contact with Jones and Gaskin.
“I’m fearful the second time he sees me. It won’t be just one punch; it’ll be more than that,” Jones said.
She added that she is disappointed with the legal system for letting him out.
Police said Hummer, who has convictions for theft, break and enter and breaching conditions on Vancouver Island, has come to their attention on several occasions, mainly in Vancouver.
“I’m just afraid he’s going to hurt somebody else,” Jones said.
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