Date: Thursday, April 1, 2021
File: 21-12328
Victoria, BC – Patrol officers arrested a man last night after a report that he aggressively followed a woman on Cook Street.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31st, Patrol officers were called to the area of Cook Street and Rockland Avenue for a report of a man following a woman while yelling and hitting garbage cans. The woman called 911 and ran from the man and found a bystander nearby to accompany her to safety. Officers arrived quickly and located the suspect in the area.
Officers detained and searched the man for weapons. Officers located a knife in the man’s possession.
The man was the subject of conditions of probation not to possess weapons of any kind, stemming from an assault causing bodily harm file where he randomly struck a man in Victoria with a wooden stick in 2020.
Officers arrested the man for breach of probation and transported him to hospital due to a medical issue. The man was evaluated while in hospital and subsequently held under the Mental Health Act.
The man faces recommended charges of breach of probation.
This file remains under investigation.
This incident follows several recent, unrelated, incidents where women have been targeted in attacks or followed. VicPD officers are aware of these incidents and are responding.
If you feel unsafe or are confronted by someone, please call 911 and, if possible, go to a public place, like a store, restaurant or community centre where other people are also in attendance. Patrol officers will respond to these incidents with our highest priority.
If you have information about this incident and have not spoken with investigators, please call our non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654, extension 1. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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