Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2022
File: 22-4606
Victoria, BC –A Victoria man has been arrested after turning himself in to police today after VicPD released a Community Update with a photograph and description of a man suspected of damaging vehicles at a protest Saturday.
On Saturday afternoon, officers with the Greater Victoria Integrated Public Safety Unity (PSU) were deployed to the area of the B.C. Legislature to protect public safety and ensure that everyone’s Charter rights to safe, peaceful and lawful protest were protected. Large crowds gathered in the area, including groups opposed to each other. Officers worked to keep the peace between these groups.
During the protest, PSU officers were approached by people who had witnessed a man damaging vehicles in a parking lot at 481 Kingston Street. They shared a photograph of the man with officers. After determining the man had left the area, PSU officers returned to their duties at the protest. Community Services Division (CSD) officers followed up and continued the investigation.
A Community Update which included the photograph and suspect description was released on Monday, February 7th. Several people contacted VicPD with information about the suspect, including a man who identified himself as the person in the photograph.
The man turned himself in to CSD officers today. He was arrested for three counts of Mischief under $5000 and released with a future court date.
This file remains under investigation. Charges have not yet been sworn.
If you have information about this incident and have not yet spoken to officers, please call the VicPD Report Desk at (250) 995-7645 extension 1. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
VicPD’s officers remain impartial during protests. Our duty is to help keep the public safe and ensure that an environment that provides for safe, peaceful and lawful protest as protected by the Charter is maintained. In advance of the events, VicPD reminded all participants that dangerous and/or unlawful acts would be met with de-escalation & enforcement.
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