Date: Saturday, July 16, 2022
File: 22-26782
Victoria, BC –VicPD Patrol officers and officers with the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) rescued an armed person in crisis after an hours-long barricade this evening.
Patrol officers were called to a residence in the 900-block of Mason Street at approximately 6:30 p.m. this evening for a report that a person in crisis had harmed themselves and was refusing medical attention. When officers arrived, they learned that a person was inside the residence suffering from a self-inflicted neck injury. The person barricaded themselves inside the residence. Officers worked to verbally de-escalate the person while GVERT responded.
GVERT officers, including Crisis Negotiators, responded to the scene and over the course of several hours worked to resolve the incident peacefully. During the course of the response GVERT officers deployed two loud distraction devices in an effort to have the person surrender themselves for medical care.
Just after 10 p.m. the person armed themselves with a weapon and attempted to engage officers at the front door of the residence. Officers deployed ARWEN less-lethal munitions, disarmed the person and took them into custody without further incident. The person was treated on scene by a VicPD Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) officer until BC Emergency Health Services paramedics attended and transported the person to hospital for medical evaluation and mental health care. The person suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
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