Needle placed to poke

Photo: CTV

Paramedic Will Rogers posted this photo to Facebook recreating what it looked like when responders discovered an uncapped syringe on an automatic door opener on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

A B.C. paramedic is sounding the alarm after he found a needle placed in an automatic door opener in Vancouver's Downtown East Side.

Will Rogers wrote in a Facebook post that he believes the needle was placed there intentionally to poke anyone who may use the button that opens the door.

"We had a near miss today that I would like to bring to everyone's attention," Will Rogers wrote Monday. "A syringe was intentionally manipulated (bent) so that the exposed sharp was sticking out, with the obvious intention to poke anyone reaching for the button."

Rogers included a photo in the post recreating what the needle looked like.

Paramedics were on a call to the Lux Hotel Monday just before 7:30 p.m. when Rogers saw the needle.

The needle was safely disposed of and police were called.

VPD Const. Jason Doucette said officers investigated but weren't able to find a suspect, video of the incident or any witnesses.

Similar incidents have been reported in other parts of the province.

In January, a toddler was pricked by a syringe at a McDonald's restaurant in downtown Victoria.

The next day, a Victoria woman was pricked by an uncapped syringe sticking out of a planter.