Mission RCMP arrest man for assaulting a 14-year-old, threatening man with knife

MISSION — Mounties in Mission say a 38-year-old man was arrested earlier this week after he allegedly assaulted a youth and threatened another man with a knife.

Police were called to the intersection of 11 Avenue and Stave Lake Street at 2:40 p.m. this past Monday, Dec. 9, after a man reportedly pulled a 14-year-old boy down from a concrete barrier he was sitting on near the intersection. A motorist who happened to be driving through the area witnessed the assault and stopped to intervene. The suspect allegedly pulled out a knife and threatened both the youth and the witness, before putting the knife back into a sheath and walking away. Mounties located and arrested the man without incident at a bus stop nearby.

Mission RCMP Cpl. Harrison Mohr says the investigation is in the early stages and there is no apparent motive for the alleged assault. The suspect and youth are not known to each other, and neither are believed to be associated to the nearby schools.

“This was certainly a frightening encounter for both the youth and the witness, and it’s fortunate that no one was hurt,” Cpl. Mohr said. “We appreciate the quick efforts by the witness to try to help the youth, then to back away and call 911 when the situation escalated further. Witnesses also did a great job of keeping an eye on the suspect from a safe distance until police arrived, which helped in quickly taking him into custody.”