B.C. man suffers skull fracture in alleged sucker punch outside Vancouver bar

A Vancouver woman is raising the alarm after her son was allegedly sucker punched outside a downtown bar.

The attack left the 31-year-old with damage to his eye, a skull fracture and concussion, and a lack of sensation in his face, according to Michele Becker.

Vancouver police confirm they are investigating the incident and have a photo of an alleged suspect, but are sharing little else about the investigation.

Becker says the incident happened last Wednesday around 10:45 p.m. outside the Devil’s Elbow on Beatty Street, when her son was in town for a professional development course.

He had joined some friends for a drink at the pub when the group noticed two men outside punching and kicking their bicycles, Becker said.

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According to Becker, her son and his friends went outside and confronted the men, one of whom pushed her son.

Her son pushed the man back, then took a photo of him — which is when Becker alleges the other man came up from behind and punched her son in the head.

“What he remembers is waking up on the cement,” she said.

“He doesn’t even remember the punch. It just came out of nowhere.”

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“The blow was sustained to the right side of his head, and his temple and eye. And any different than that would have blown out his eye or killed him. Millimetres’ difference,” she added.

“The injury sustained shattered a bone beneath his eye, a large fracture and lacerations, and of course bruising to the eye itself. ”

Becker posted the photo her son took on Facebook, which as now been shared more than 4,000 times.

She said many of the replies noted that such sucker punch attacks are on the rise, and can lead to life-changing injuries or even death.

“It was a malicious, malicious act,” she said.

“I just I want this person to know what this type of act can result in, that you can not only change and snuff out a life with this nanosecond decision, but it goes in ripples.

“You affect people from there in very detrimental ways.”

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In 2015, the Vancouver police issued a warning about a rash of sucker punches in the city, after 10 people were attacked outside of bars.

One of those attacks left a 60-year-old man dead, while another left the 34-year-old victim with brain damage, and a third left a 49-year-old with a head injury and brain bleed.

Earlier this year, police released security video of a similar 2018 attack in Yaletown that left a man with serious head injuries.

Becker said her son is recovering well, but might still need surgery down the road.

And she said she wants to see the laws toughened up for people who throw sucker punches.

“In Australia they call it the coward’s punch and it automatically results in jail time,” she said.

“So I think Canada should respond accordingly. Do the same.”