Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells is calling a hammer attack on a man walking on a popular local trail a “very disturbing and shocking attack in our community.”
The attack happened Monday about 5:30 p.m. as the victim was walking along the Rotary Trail near 11th Street and Cumberland Avenue near the old E&N railway track, a spot well-used by residents.
The victim told RCMP that he was walking along the trail when he nodded at the suspect who then pulled out a small hammer and swung it, hitting him in the arm, Comox Valley RCMP said in a statement.
He did not require medical attention, Const. Monika Terragni said.
“Our patrols have increased in the area, including bike patrols” she said. “We are committed to living and working in a safe community and we will continue to adjust our resources and work with our community partners in areas that need attention.”
The suspect is described as a man in his 20s between 5 feet and 11 inches and six feet tall, with a slim build and pale skin. He was wearing baggy blue jeans and an oversized black hoodie.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-1321.
Wells said that although the victim was not severely injured, experiencing such an incident is traumatic.
He referred to a previous violent attack on Courtenay resident Bob Plumb, who was 89 in July 2019 when he was attacked by a man with a machete.
Plumb was slashed in the face and his hand was injured when he tried to protect himself.
He had been sitting in his car in downtown Courtenay early in the morning when the assailant approached on a bicycle. The man asked Plumb for a cigarette and when hearing he did not have one, the man attacked.
Plumb lost the sight in one eye and the use of his right hand became limited because of the assault, his family said.
Wells said: “Starting just over two years ago we increased our community policing in response to increased criminal activity and have seen positive results.”
Police bike patrols are able to get into “nooks and crannies” that a patrol vehicle can not access and they have increased the presence of RCMP downtown, he said.
The attacks with a hammer and machete were each random, he said. “It really makes the community wonder what’s what’s happening right now.”
Mental health problems, addictions and lack of affordable housing all need to be better addressed and supported by senior government, Wells said.
“I would say our provincial government over the past few years has done a great job in terms of stepping up.” Courtenay has 80 units of new social housing.
As well, new higher density homes are going up and they will help alleviate the housing shortage, he said.
Courtenay and other Vancouver Island municipalities of a similar size have been discussing taking a united approach to senior government to seek more resources to tackle these problems.
Wells encourages citizens to report crimes to police. This will help bolster arguments for the need for support, he said.
