Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2022

File: 22-26080

Victoria, BC – A man has been arrested after assaulting an officer and leading officers on a foot chase last night.

Just before 6:30 p.m. last night Patrol officers were called to a multi-unit supportive housing facility in the 700-block of Queens Avenue for a report that several unwanted people were in front of the property. A patrol officer attended and asked the group to leave the property. As the officer spoke with the group, a man with that group began to act suspiciously. The man then gave the investigating Patrol officer a false name. When the officer told the man he was under arrest, the man assaulted the officer by punching him in the chest and fled on foot. The officer called for back-up officers and gave chase on foot.

Additional Patrol officers responded and observed the fleeing man running through the Quadra Heights playground near the intersection of Rutledge and Villance streets. Patrol officers continued to give chase on foot as the man leapt the fences of several residences in the 3100-block of Alder Street. When officers briefly lost sight of the suspect, an area resident left their home to call out to officers “he went that way” and pointed officers towards the backyard of a nearby residence.

A Patrol officer located the suspect in the backyard of a residence in the 3100-block of Alder Street, in the process of climbing the fence. The officer pulled the suspect from the fence and brought him to the ground. The suspect continued to attempt to fight the officer until he was taken into custody. As the officer was taking the man into custody, a pair of brass knuckles fell out of the suspect’s pocket.

The suspect then indicated that he was in medical distress. Officers provided comfort and aid while a BC Emergency Health Services ambulance and paramedics were dispatched. He was transported to hospital, treated and released back into police custody. Two officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the incident. Both were treated on scene by a VicPD Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) police officer and completed their shifts.

Officers searched the suspect’s backpacks and located a knife and bear spray, as well as identification documents and a credit card belonging to someone other than the suspect and believed to be stolen. As officers continued their investigation they learned that the man was in breach of numerous conditions ordered in as part of the sentence of a previous offence. The suspect was transported to VicPD cells.

The man faces recommended charges including assaulting a police officer, obstruction and illegal possession of identity documents as well as three weapons possession charges and six charges for violating a variety of court-ordered conditions. He was held for court.

The investigation remains ongoing. If you have information about this incident and have not yet spoken with an officer, please call the VicPD Report Desk at (250) 995-7654 extension 1.

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