Man found not criminally responsible in Vancouver stabbing

A man charged for a series of attacks in Vancouver last year has been found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder.

Vancouver Police Department officers were called to the area of Smithe and Beatty streets just before noon on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 for reports “that one person was stabbed and a male was chasing people around with a knife.”

A 61-year-old was treated for “non-life-threatening injuries” while a 46-year-old suspect was arrested after being tased by officers.

In an update Wednesday, the BC Prosecution Service says Kent Meades pleaded guilty to eight charges in a Vancouver provincial court.

The Crown and defence both made submissions to find Meades not criminally responsible.

At the time of the attack, police said Meades had been recently released from the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre on probation.

He had been serving a sentence for “uttering threats against his own family members and also against prominent federal politicians.”

The prosecution service says a disposition hearing will take place within the next 45 days.

—With files from Charlie Carey