A man is in critical condition in hospital following what police are calling a serious assault at the Strathcona Park encampment in Vancouver.
The man was found Monday evening by paramedics after an unknown person called 911, police said.
Hospital staff then alerted the police when the man was brought in.
A witness told them the man had been lying there for “some time” before paramedics were called.
The man could have been lying there for up to 12 hours before anyone dialled 911, police said.
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“This is a disturbing case considering how seriously the victim was assaulted and the length of time he was laying on the ground injured without any help,” Const. Tania Visintin said Wednesday in a news release.
The victim is believed to be in his late 20s. He has dark hair and a beard on his chin and may be white or Indigenous, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 604-717-2541 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
Tension has been building in the East Vancouver neighbourhood since homeless people and housing activists established the Strathcona Park camp after being pushed out of Oppenheimer Park and a former lot next to CRAB Park in June.
The camp has since grown to more than 400 tents.
Tenters have said the camp is safer than shelters or living on the street, while neighbourhood residents have said it has become a haven for criminals and contributed to an uptick in violent incidents in the area.
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