Date: Tuesday, October 19th, 2021

File: 21-41947

Victoria, BC – Patrol officers arrested a man and seized weapons, including a cattle prod, break-in instruments, and drugs during a break and enter to a storage locker on Sunday morning.

Shortly after 7 a.m. on Sunday, October 17th, Patrol officers responded to a report of an in-progress break and enter to a storage locker outside a multi-unit residential building in the 300-block of Harbour Road.

Officers arrived on scene and located the suspect within the storage locker. Officers arrested the man without incident. Officers searched the suspect and found him to be in possession of a number of weapons, including knives and a cattle prod. The suspect was also in possession of several break-in instruments, as well as night vision binoculars, and a significant quantity of methampethamine.

Officers transported the man to VicPD cells where he was later released from custody with a court date and conditions. He faces recommended charges of break and enter, possession of break in instruments, and carrying a concealed weapon.

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 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides that every person has the right to liberty and the presumption of innocence pre-trial.  Police are also asked to consider the circumstances of Indigenous or vulnerable persons in the process, in order to address the disproportionate impacts that the criminal justice system has on these populations.

If you have information about this incident, please call our non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654 and press 1 to speak with the Report Desk. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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