Video obtained by CTV News shows a man attacking a group of people in Coquitlam with what was described as a whip on Saturday night. The camera shakes as the group runs away, screaming in terror and calling for help. Speaking with CTV News on Tuesday, one of the victims says she feels “very traumatized.” “I think all of us do. Like when we go outside, we feel like someone is following us. We don’t feel safe at all,” said Yasmin, who asked not to be identified for her safety. This all unfolded in a Coquitlam park just before midnight on Saturday. Yasmin said a man approached the group and started to threaten them, then bashed a nearby fence with a pipe—and returned minutes later with what appeared to be a whip. “He comes back, and he doesn’t say anything—he just walks through and he starts to hit all of us,” said Yasmin, adding her boyfriend was hit in the face and eye. “We still don’t know what his condition is. He’s still getting it checked out.” Mounties confirmed they responded to a report of an assault at a Coquitlam park just after midnight. “Coquitlam RCMP officers flooded the area and requested the assistance of the Lower Mainland District Integrated Police Dog Service, but despite all efforts, the suspect was not located,” said Sgt. Adriana O’Malley, in a statement. Mounties described the suspect as a 6’2” tall Black man with a British accent, wearing black clothing and a mask that partially covered his face. The victims say they called for an ambulance multiple times, but they were told that none were in their zone, so no ambulance responded. “Overall, the feeling is that they don’t know how serious this issue is,” said Amir, another from the group who will remain anonymous. CTV has contacted British Columbia Emergency Health Services for more information. RCMP said an officer transported one victim to hospital before BCEHS arrived. The group says she remains in hospital and is receiving treatment. “She got hit in the back a couple of times, pretty hard,” said Yasmin, tearfully. “She wakes up after this happened, and she feels numb, and she cannot move her legs or hands ... we don’t know her condition, also.” Five in the group of seven were injured, and Yasmin said it was a moment that none of them will ever forget. “It feels very unreal right now.”
