Homeless man assaulted while sleeping in Vancouver

A homeless man is recovering from injuries after he was attacked while sleeping outside a coffee shop last weekend.

Leo Perry, who has lived in the Fairview neighborhood for eight years, told CityNews he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

“They (the police) took me to the hospital when they realised how badly I was injured, and I can’t defend myself,” he said.

Perry was sleeping outside a coffee shop on the corner of West Broadway and Granville on Sunday, July 14, when someone attacked him around 6 p.m.

He couldn’t see who did it and says when police arrived they thought he was the suspect and took him to hospital.

“(My) thumb might be broken. My teeth are cracked and you can see what’s on my face. I have an injury here and here. Someone took a beating on me. And this was injured (points to my leg). I was completely fine yesterday,” he said.

In the past eight years that Perry has lived in the neighborhood, he has never experienced this kind of violence.

Perry’s leg is in a cast, his pants are covered in dried blood, and his right hand is swollen. He also has a laceration under his lip and above his left eye. His left eye is also visibly bruised.

Sarah Chew, spokesperson for the Union Gospel Mission, says there have been several incidents involving homeless people in recent years.

She calls the attacks disturbing, but not surprising.

“There was a man in 2021 who was run over and pepper sprayed, just because he was homeless. There was a woman a few years ago who was doused with flammable liquid and set on fire while she was sleeping outside,” she told CityNews.

Chew says they do not support any form of violence.

“We condemn the use of any attack, any violence against our communities that already face so much unrest and stress every day. A person’s level of housing does not equate to how much respect or dignity they retain,” she said.

Despite his injuries, Perry is still in good spirits. He says he has friends nearby who continue to care for him.

“I have a lot of respect here and no one will allow anything to happen to me,” he said. “I don’t wish any harm on anyone who would ever dare to do this.”

Vancouver police have not yet responded to questions from CityNew about this incident.

-With files from Catherine Garrett.