Police say racism drove bear spray assault

A senior is traumatized after he was attacked with bear spray in Vancouver's Chinatown on Friday, the latest, police say, in a rash of racially motivated attacks.

The 87-year-old victim, a Chinatown resident, was out for his morning walk when the assault occurred at around 11:40 a.m., according to police. He was standing at the bus stop near Pender and Columbia streets when a stranger came up to him, made racist comments, then bear-sprayed him in the face.

Visintin said the attack was witnessed by at least one passerby who stopped to help.

“Every indication is that this incident was completely unprovoked and may have been fuelled by anti-Asian hate,” said Const. Tania Visintin, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver police.

On Saturday, Visintin released an image of a suspect taken from a CCTV camera in the area.

The suspect fled after the assault and hasn't been identified. The senior sought help from a nearby business, which called 911. Police say he was traumatized by the incident but has no physical life-threatening injuries.

Investigators are looking into whether Friday's attack is related to offensive graffiti that appeared this week on the red gates outside the Dr. Sun YatSen Classical Chinese Garden, located just metres away from where the senior was assaulted. The graffiti — the word “Shhh” in white paint — was interpreted by many in the community as a backlash to Chinatown residents who have been increasingly speaking up about crime and safety concerns in their neighbourhood, according to police.

Police are looking for a man 30 to 40 years old, about six feet tall. He was wearing a black jacket, dark-coloured pants, a grey baseball cap, grey shoes with red trim and white soles, and was carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information or anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to call investigators at 604-717-4034.