A 47-year-old Burnaby man has been identified by Vancouver police as a person of interest in a Vancouver homicide that occurred on Wednesday evening.
Vancouver police confirmed at a Thursday morning press conference that last night's suspicious death on the 3400 block of Renfrew Street is the city's sixth homicide of 2012.
A caller telephoned authorities shortly after 9 p.m. to report screaming coming from the rear lane of 3433 Renfrew Street where police found a deceased man in his 50s. The victim had multiple stab wounds, according to VPD spokesman Sgt. Randy Fincham.
Investigators from the VPD's major crimes section identified a person of interest late yesterday night, Fincham said. Shortly after 4 a.m. patrol officers found the 47-year-old Burnaby man driving his car in the area of Boundary Road and Lougheed Highway. Police followed the car to East Broadway and Nanaimo Street where they attempted to pull him over, but the man refused to stop. A short pursuit ended when the driver collided with the police vehicle at East Broadway and Slocan Street. The man suffered minor injuries and has been taken into custody. A VPD officer received minor abrasions when the airbag in his vehicle deployed.
Both the victim and the person of the interest have had prior run-ins with the police, Fincham added, but authorities at this point do not believe the killing has any ties to gangs or drugs.
"The driver of the vehicle is known to the police," he said. "The victim has had dealings with the police in the past, but he had no criminal record."
The driver will face charges in relation to the collision, Fincham added, including dangerous driving, driving while prohibited, and obstruction. The man also had an outstanding Burnaby warrant for assault, and he remains a person of interest in the Renfrew Street homicide.
The investigation so far suggests it was a targeted attack, said Fincham, but no charges have been laid. The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin and the driver's name will be released once the vehicle-related charges have been forwarded to the Crown Counsel.
The Vancouver Police Department is appealing to anyone who has info to contact the Vancouver homicide unit at 604-717-2500 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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