A man who was previously convicted of manslaughter allegedly stabbed an on-duty Vancouver police officer on Tuesday night.
Two uniformed officers were patrolling on foot in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside around 7 p.m. on March 4 when the stabbing occurred.
Vancouver's police chief Adam Palmer said "one of them was randomly attacked by a suspect armed with an edged weapon, slashing our officer several times.”
The suspect approached the officer from behind, slashed him in the calf, and fled on foot. He was arrested minutes later near East Cordova and Main Street.
“Random senseless violence is intolerable and certain people need to be incarcerated,” said Palmer.
The VPD officer was transported to the hospital and treated for his injuries. He is now at home recovering.
Richmond woman's death
Police said the suspect has a history of violence and was arrested.
Solaris Onatta Running Dey, 29, has been charged with aggravated assault of a police officer and assault of a peace officer with a weapon.
Dey was found guilty of manslaughter of Aspen Pallot, a Richmond woman, in November 2020 in B.C. Supreme Court.
Pallot was found dead inside a home at the southwest corner of Westminster Highway and Minoru Boulevard in Richmond in October 2018.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Michael Tammen found the “only rational conclusion” after considering all the evidence was that Dey caused Pallot’s death by manual strangulation.
Prior to being sentenced, Dey had spent 994 days in pretrial detention.
Tammen ultimately decided a sentence that would restrict Dey’s liberty for five years would best serve the purposes of public protection and rehabilitation for Dey.
On June 25, 2021, Tammen sentenced Dey to two years in federal jail followed by three years’ probation.
When Dey was released from jail after serving two years for Pallot's death, he was back in court for breaching probation in December 2023.
Dey was arrested last November after allegedly failing to follow the conditions for his three-year probation following his two-year jail sentence.
Court records state he had allegedly failed to adhere to the condition to report as directed between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. He was also charged for allegedly failing to inform his probation officer of his address and avoid changing it without first telling his probation officer.
Back in 2017, Comox Valley RCMP asked the public's help in finding Dey, who was missing from Hornby Island.
Task force for DTES
In February, a new task force was created to dismantle organized crime networks and target criminals in the Downtown Eastside.
Dubbed “Task Force Barrage” and a $5-million strategy, it aims to enhance and add to police efforts already underway in the Downtown Eastside.
Palmer said back in February that this area accounts for more than 30 per cent of violent crime in the city.
For the new task force, uniformed officers have been assigned to the beat to reduce street crime and violence. There will also be “complex and coordinated investigations” to target gangs and organized crime groups, and “improve community partnerships to address social needs and improve community safety.”
With a file from Mike Howell
