David Morin, who stabbed a stranger in 2022, released: VPD

Vancouver police are warning the public that the man who stabbed a stranger at a downtown coffee shop in January 2022 has been released and will live in the city again.

David Morin plans to reside in a halfway house in Vancouver, the Vancouver Police Department said in a news release Friday afternoon.

Morin was sentenced to three years in prison in June 2022, but was granted statutory release from the Correctional Service of Canada, according to the VPD.

“Police believe Morin poses a high risk of significant harm to the community and compelling circumstances exist to warn the public that he will be living in Vancouver,” police said in their release.

Then 27 years old, Morin was arrested and charged with aggravated assault days after attacking a Mexican tourist inside the Tim Hortons in Harbor Center in January 2022. The violent attack was recorded on city cameras restaurant surveillance.

At the time, authorities said the attack happened “completely without warning” and that the attacker and his victim did not know each other and had little interaction before the stabbing.

The victim was taken to hospital with his life in danger, but he survived. He later spoke about the ordeal to CTV News, saying through a translator that the assault made him anxious every time he went out.

“He feels like someone is going to attack him from behind. He doesn’t feel safe wherever he goes,” the translator said at the time.

Now 30, Morin is subject to a number of conditions and could be rearrested if he is seen violating any of them, police said.

He must not consume, purchase or possess alcohol or drugs other than prescribed and over-the-counter medications. He must not have any direct or indirect contact with the victim and must not associate with any person involved in criminal activity. He must not be in possession of knives and he must immediately report any intimate relationship, sexual or otherwise, with a woman to his parole supervisor.

Police described Morin as 6'3″, with a medium build, short black hair and brown eyes. They provided a photo of him with their press release and asked anyone who sees him violating the one of its conditions – or knows that they have been violated – to call them immediately.