Victoria police say two officers were injured in separate mental health-related calls in the last week in which they were bitten, punched in the face and kicked.
The first incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, Victoria police said in a news release.
Officers were responding to a 911 call reporting that a person came home to find blood on the ground, walls and doorway, and that their partner was screaming inside.
When they arrived, police said they found the woman on top of a vehicle, striking the hood “while covered in a significant amount of blood.”
She then took off screaming down the street and officers determined they needed to be apprehended under the Mental Health Act.
When officers attempted to take the woman into custody, she fought with officers and bit one of their fingers, an injury Victoria police called serious.
Other officers used a Taser to subdue the woman and she was later taken to hospital for a mental health assessment and treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The officer was also taken to hospital for treatment of their bite wound.
The second incident occurred just before 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16. Officers were called to a grocery store in the 800-block of Viewfield Road in Esquimalt for a report that a man unknown to staff entered a walk-in freezer and refused to leave.
Officers were concerned for the man’s well being as it was -25 degrees Celsius in the freezer, police said. Officers spoke with him and he agreed to leave, but as they escorted him outside he suddenly punched one officer in the face.
“A struggle ensued and the man then kicked the same officer in the face. After a continued struggle officers were able to take the man into custody,” police said. The man was taken to hospital for a mental health assessment. The officer who was punched and also kicked suffered a shoulder injury and remains off-duty, police said.
Both files remain under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call 250-995-7654 extension 1.
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