A man was arrested after he allegedly wielded a knife at someone near a busy Victoria intersection last week.
According to a Victoria Police Department press release, officers received reports about a man allegedly yelling and threatening someone while wielding a knife near the intersection of Bay Street and Blanshard Street at around 7 p.m. on Oct. 15.
Multiple VicPD officers responded to the scene, however, it was members of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) who were able to locate the suspect near the intersection of Douglas Street and Hillside Avenue.
Police say once confronted by GVERT members, the suspect refused to comply with directions and then “reached for the knife in his possession.”
It was at that point, the VicPD release notes, that officers shot the suspect with an ARWEN less-lethal plastic projectile.
The suspect then surrendered to police without further incident. Officers then transported the suspect to hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Once he was cleared from hospital, the suspect was transported to VicPD cells and later released from custody.
“Bill C-75, which came into effect nationally in 2019, legislated a ‘principle of restraint’ that requires police to release an accused person at the earliest possible opportunity after considering certain factors which include the likelihood the accused will attend court, the imminence of the risk posed to public safety, and the impact on confidence in the criminal justice system,” the release states.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Victoria Police Department’s non-emergency line at 250-995-7654 and press 1 to speak to the report desk. People can also report what they know anonymously, by calling the Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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