Police in Vancouver, Canada, are seeking the public’s help to identify a man involved in an “unprovoked and random” attack on a young Asian woman on New Year’s Eve.
Surveillance footage released by the Vancouver Police Department shows the 22-year-old woman strolling outside of Hotel Georgia on West Georgia Street when the man walking in the opposite direction grabs her at around 3:30 p.m.
“This is a very concerning incident,” Const. Tania Visintin told the Vancouver Sun. “The victim was just walking down the street minding her own [business] when it occurred.”
The young woman can be seen on camera being thrown against the wall outside of the hotel and held down, but police said she managed to break away from the attacker. It has not been determined if the attack was racially motivated.
“This video clearly shows the unprovoked and random nature of this disturbing attack,” Visintin said. “Unfortunately, these types of incidents are happening more often in the city, and it’s led to many people feeling less safe when they’re alone in public.”
The suspect was last seen walking east on West Georgia Street immediately after the incident and is described as a white, middle-aged man wearing gray pants, a black jacket over a black shirt that has a logo in the middle of it and a black toque. He was also carrying headphones as well as a blue bag.
Anyone with further information on the incident is encouraged to call VPD investigators at 604-717-4022.
Featured Image via VPD
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