Victim outraged after Campbell River stabbing suspect found not guilty

Warning: This story contains graphic details.

A former security guard in Campbell River is outraged after the man suspected of stabbing him during a shoplifting incident in 2021 was cleared of all charges.

Ron Beaven was working as a security guard with his wife, Leanne Szaz, at the Walmart in Campbell River on Dec. 7, 2021, when he was stabbed multiple times.

The attack occurred when he asked a man to leave the store because he had been banned from the premises.

"Every time he comes, he was, 'I'm going to stick you and I'm going to kill you. I'm going to stab you.' It was every day," Beaven told CTV News on Monday.

Beaven and Szaz tried to stop the man from entering the store when he first arrived.

"I told him, 'You know you're not allowed in here. Get the hell out,'" said Szaz. "And he whips out a knife and says, 'I'll cut you."

Bodycam footage shows Beaven being stabbed multiple times as his wife rushes to his aid.

"He got me here, he got me three times in there, and two over here," said Beaven while pointing to his chest, arm and shoulder.

Meanwhlie, the man walked out of the store with five large televisions while blood poured from Beaven's body.

A suspect was arrested for the assault, but last week the couple learned that the man who was charged with the stabbing was found not guilty.

"He assaulted two big police officers," said Beaven. "He got off on everything he was up on charges for. How the hell do they allow that?"

The couple says the judge ruled that the man, who was known to police, could not be found guilty because he couldn't properly be identified.

"[It was] attempted murder, but oh no, wasn't enough evidence," said Beaven. "They've got film of me bleeding to death on the floor."

Szaz says the man was wearing a mask because of provincial health protocols during the pandemic. She adds that the knife was never recovered, meaning there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence to link the suspect to the crime.

The couple says they believe stores like Walmart need to take a stronger stance against thieves, and that Canada's justice system needs an overhaul.

"The store and our justice system does [nothing]," said Beaven. "It's all, 'Do what you want.'"

"How many people have to die or be hurt?" added Szaz. "It affects families, it alters their whole life forever, and I'm just one more voice, but how many voices is it going to take?"

The couple is now taking a much-needed break from security, trying to recover from an incident that took only moments, but will be with them for years to come.