New details have emerged from Thursday’s incident where a man was found staggering and injured with a stab wound.
It was initially believed he was the victim of an assault.
Since that time, police have determined that the man they thought to be the victim in the situation, was actually the aggressor in an altercation.
At around 4:15 a.m. on Thursday, November 24th, police and paramedics responded to an incident near the Dollarama on the corner of Fifth Street and Bruce Avenue.
Police say it was reported to police there was an injured person who staggered into the nearby 7-11 asking for medical assistance.
Paramedics treated the man who’d been stabbed at the scene and transported him to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Once treated, he was released from hospital care.
Related:
Nanaimo man hospitalized after being stabbed multiple times: RCMP
Police reviewed CCTV footage of the initial altercation as they investigated the stabbing when it became available later on Thursday.
Upon reviewing the footage, police say it became evident that the “victim” was actually the aggressor in the conflict.
“Based on the evidence obtained to date, investigators believe the accused, who has mental health issues, initiated an unprovoked attack on a marginalized person of no fixed address,”said R/Cst. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
In the late hours of Thursday afternoon, police attended the home of the 32-year-old Nanaimo man claiming to be the victim in the situation and arrested him for assault with a weapon.
Police say the real victim of the altercation has since been identified and did not require medical treatment.
Anyone with information on this incident should contact Nanaimo RCMP at (250) 754-2345.
