Date: Saturday, July 31, 2021

Files: 21-30929

Victoria, BC – Patrol officers arrested a man in Victoria’s Inner Harbour today after an unprovoked attack on a vendor and their display.

At approximately 4:30 p.m. today, Patrol officers were called to the intersection of Government and Belleville streets for a report of a man swinging a large metal pole at people and vendors’ displays. Several officers immediately responded and located the suspect on the Lower Causeway of the Inner Harbour. The suspect remained in possession of a metal pole. Officers provided voice commands, with a firearm and conductive energy weapon drawn, in order to protect the safety of the public and themselves. When the man did not acknowledge police commands, officers took physical control of the suspect to take him into custody without further incident.

Officers investigated and learned that the suspect had attacked a vendor’s display with the metal pole. The suspect then physically assaulted the vendor and left. The victim, a man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the assault.

Officers transported the man to cells where he was held in custody. The suspect, a 31-year-old man, faces recommended charges of assault with a weapon, mischief, and breach of a release order.

This file remains under investigation.

If you have information about this incident and have not spoken with investigators, please call our non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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