Suspect charged after hatchet attack at MEC in North Vancouver

A man has been charged after a hatchet attack at a MEC location in North Vancouver on Tuesday that frightened staff and customers, but injured no one.

According to North Vancouver RCMP, a man entered the Brooksbank Avenue shop around 7 p.m. attempting to purchase bear spray and a knife. When he was denied, he reportedly became upset and threatened to kill people inside the store.

He left the shop briefly, got a hatchet, came back and started swinging it at people, Const. Mansoor Sahak told Global News.

“There were multiple people, approximately 50 people inside the store, who were frightened and called police,” Sahak said.

“This was a horrifying incident for the witnesses on the scene there … and (who) were put in danger as a result of this man’s action.”

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RCMP arrived and took the suspect into custody without incident. He is from Vancouver and has no fixed address, Sahak said.

He was initially apprehended under B.C. Mental Health Act, Sahak added, but was released from the Lions Gate Hospital into police custody. He is still in custody, pending a bail hearing.

The suspect was due in North Vancouver Provincial Court on Wednesday morning, charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

In emailed comments, MEC’s chief operations officer commended the North Vancouver staff and security team for their “immediate and fast response to the isolated incident.”

“Their proactive actions and the calm response from customers played a crucial role in ensuring the safety of everyone in the store,” Peter Hlynsky said.

“This incident serves as a testament to the professionalism and readiness of our employees, who acted swiftly and decisively to prevent escalation and contact the authorities and we would like to express our gratitude to those individuals involved, including our dedicated staff, security team and the local law enforcement authorities.”

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Sahak said it appears “instinct” stopped the cashiers at MEC from selling bear spray and the knife to the man.

“They have a right to refuse business for anybody they suspect could be using it for wrongful purposes,” he said.

“Bear spray is legal to purchase and there’s no bylaws against that. Its intended purpose is to scare away a bear and for camping. Obviously, we know that that’s not really some people’s intentions.”

Hlynsky said MEC wants to reassure its customers that the company is committed to ensuring a “secure and welcoming environment” in all its stores and is constantly reviewing its security measures to prevent incidents, and respond quickly should they occur. Resources have been made available to support staff in the aftermath of Tuesday’s incident, he added.