Security company shares details of stabbing attack at Campbell River Walmart
The owner of a security company is clarifying the moments that led up to one of his employees being stabbed at the Campbell River Walmart Tuesday morning.
Vali Majd, CEO and director of JFT Security says a 60-year-old guard who has 25 years’ experience was coming to the assistance of another guard Tuesday morning and had just rounded a corner when he was stabbed.
“(The attacker) just jumped at him and stabbed him multiple times,” Majd says. “He was stabbed in the arm, in the upper chest, luckily he was wearing his vest.”
Majd says moments earlier a female guard noticed a 30-year-old man who had been previously banned from Walmart entering the store for the second time on Tuesday. He was ejected from the store, but then came back wearing a disguise and was approached again.
“He showed a knife and he said, ‘I’m going to stab you,’” Majd says. “She increased distance and got on the radio, passed on the transmission to our other guard who came around the corner face to face with him and he didn’t really get time to engage him.”
As the guard was bleeding, the suspect then went farther into the store and began gathering items.
“The fellow proceeded to go on his shoplifting spree, he went and grabbed a number of TVs and went out the door” Majd says.
JFT employs approximately 100 guards up and down the island and Majd says problems like this are occurring at many different venues.
“We make the difference between opportunist people, or people who have mental health issues and then in this case, something we refer to as organized crime,” he says.
He believes merchandise that is stolen ends up online or on Ebay or are taken to fulfil special orders.
“(The customer says), ‘I want a TV and a pair of sneakers,’ and these people go get it and either sell it at a discount rate or they trade it in,” Majd says. “The days of going and selling it at a pawn shop are long gone, because they know better and there are much easier ways to resell these products.”
Majd says the issue is a “complicated landscape” that needs changing.
“It starts with the courts,” he says. “Crown and prosecutors are not prosecuting, for example, shoplifting charges and so people are feeling more bold to take it to the next level and this is where we see the civility element rapidly (erode).”
Majd checked in on the guard Wednesday morning and says he is doing well and is anxious to return to work.
“He’s stable, he had to go through an emergency surgery last night when they realized it was a brachial artery that was hit,” Majd says. “He’ll be out for some time and he’s in good spirits. Hopefully he has no further complications.”
The suspect was arrested by Campbell River RCMP late Tuesday afternoon and was expected to make a court appearance on Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man, 81, gets prison sentence after admitting to killing wife with Alzheimer's disease
An 81-year-old Quebec man has been sentenced to prison after admitting to killing his wife with Alzheimer's disease.
Canada Post quarterly loss tops $300M as strike hits second week -- and rivals step in
Canada Post saw hundreds of millions of dollars drain out of its coffers last quarter, due largely to its dwindling share of the parcels market, while an ongoing strike continues to batter its bottom line.
'Immoral depravity': Two men convicted in case of frozen migrant family in Manitoba
A jury has found two men guilty on human smuggling charges in a case where a family from India froze to death in Manitoba while trying to walk across the Canada-U.S. border.
Prime Minister Trudeau attends Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Toronto with family
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a Swiftie. His office confirmed to CTV News Toronto that he and members of his family are attending the penultimate show of Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' in Toronto on Friday evening.
Trump supporters review-bomb B.C. floral shop by accident
A small business owner from B.C.'s Fraser Valley is speaking out after being review-bombed by confused supporters of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump this week.
Pat King found guilty of mischief for role in 'Freedom Convoy'
Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order.
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles recalled in Canada over power loss risk
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash.
Trump chooses Bessent to be Treasury secretary and Vought as top budget official
President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday that he'll nominate hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Trump also said he would nominate Russel Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
Canada's tax relief plan: Who gets a cheque?
The Canadian government has unveiled its plans for a sweeping GST/HST pause on select items during the holiday period. The day after the announcement, questions remain on how the whole thing will work.