A 40-year-old man has been arrested twice in two days on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. According to police reports, the first arrest occurred on June 23 when he was taken into custody for suspected drug trafficking on Commercial Drive. He was released from custody on an undertaking to appear.
However, just one day later, on June 24, the same man was re-arrested by Vancouver Police on routine patrol in the 100-block of East Hastings after they witnessed him putting another man in a headlock and punching him in the head. The suspect resisted arrest briefly before being taken into custody.
During his second arrest, police searched the man and found two bags of suspected crystal meth, two bags of suspected fentanyl, and three throwing-star knives on his person. The victim from the assault has not been located.
The man was released from custody again on June 25 under strict conditions: he must report to a bail supervisor, refrain from possessing weapons or drug paraphernalia, and stay out of an area bound by Columbia, Pender, Carrall, and Cordova streets.
This incident comes amidst ongoing efforts to combat crime in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. In recent years, the police have launched targeted investigations into suspected drug trafficking organizations operating in the area.