A B.C.-wide arrest warrant has now been issued for a man accused of attacking a longtime Chinatown security guard last month.
Kevin Aaron Hibbard, 44, is wanted B.C.-wide for assault after he failed to attend court Thursday in Vancouver.
Vancouver police first arrested Hibbard on Aug. 12 after 64-year-old Harold Johnson was assaulted while making his daily rounds near Columbia and Pender streets. He was charged with assault and released by the courts until his next court appearance, which was supposed to happen Thursday, police said.
Johnson has helped keep Chinatown safe for two decades.
“It’s not an easy job to be a security guard in Chinatown, and he does it fearlessly every single day,” Tracy To of Forum Home Appliances told Global News in an emotional interview.
Johnson was attacked around 11 a.m. on Aug. 12 as he made his regular morning rounds at the Chinese Cultural Centre.
Vancouver police said the guard was taking pictures in a laneway when he was repeatedly punched by a stranger.
Merchants in Chinatown raised thousands for Johnson and his recovery and thousands more were raised via GoFundMe.
Anyone who sees Hibbard or knows his whereabouts is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
— with files from Kristen Robinson