Overnight stabbing on Granville strip leaves man in critical condition

A stabbing in Vancouver’s Granville Entertainment District Saturday morning left a 25-year-old man in hospital in critical condition, says Vancouver police.

The incident occurred just before 2 a.m. near Smithe and Granville Street, police said. Members of the department’s emergency response team were first on scene and rendered first aid, VPD Sgt. Steve Addison said in a media release.

The popular nightclub district was flooded with thousands of people on the first weekend night of relaxed COVID-19 restrictions.

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“Large crowds began entering the downtown core in the early evening, with some lining up early at nightclubs and hundreds wandering the entertainment areas. This led to multiple conflicts on the street,” Addison said.

Addison said police had deployed extra officers anticipating a busy night, with plans to do the same on Saturday.

The victim, a Vancouver resident, was taken to hospital for emergency surgery and is expected to survive.

Police said a 21-year-old Surrey man was arrested at the scene.

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