2 Vancouver police officers stabbed while responding to report of forcible confinement
Officers are in stable condition after call that involved two-year-old child
Two police officers were stabbed Monday morning while on a call in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
According to police, at about 10 a.m. Monday, the officers responded to a 911 call reporting a forcible confinement involving a two-year-old child at a residence in the Strathcona neighbourhood, near Keefer Street and Gore Avenue.
When the officers entered the suite a struggle ensued and both officers were stabbed, according to a police statement. A third officer was injured during the call as well.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Monday afternoon, VPD Chief Adam Palmer said he has visited all three officers in hospital and "couldn't be prouder" of their actions.
"This was a dangerous and dynamic call where the immediate safety of an innocent toddler was at risk. Our officers made split second decisions to put themselves in harm's way to rescue the child," Palmer said.
He added that two of the injured officers are set to be released from hospital later Monday, while the third is expected to make a full recovery from serious injuries.
Police said the officers used a Taser on a 59-year-old man. The man was also taken to hospital for treatment, and is in police custody.
Palmer said the suspect has a "significant criminal history dating back several decades," and major crimes investigators are handling the file.
Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said the child was found uninjured.
"We are so thankful that both of the members are in stable condition," Visintin said during a news conference.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C., a civilian-led police oversight agency, has been notified.
With files from Bethany Lindsay