Skip to content

Armed suspect arrested after knifepoint robberies, stabbing in downtown Victoria

VicPD officer, taxi driver also injured while responding to St. Patrick’s Day calls
32203485_web1_230321-VNE-assaultsandrobberies-vicpd_1
Reports started coming in at approximately 11:30 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day after multiple people were robbed at knife-point. (Black Press Media file photo)

A man has been arrested after Victoria police received reports that multiple people were assaulted and robbed at knifepoint.

The Victoria Police Department started receiving calls at around 11:30 p.m. March 17 about a man chasing people with a knife downtown.

Every available officer responded and an officer found the suspect near the intersection of Yates and Vancouver streets. The officer drew his duty pistol, according to a statement from police, and moved to arrest the man while issuing voice commands for the man to stop, but the suspect turned and fled. The officer chased after the man on foot and deployed his conducted energy weapon, which was ineffective. The officer then caught up to the suspect and tackled him to the ground.

Additional responding officers arrived and helped bring the man into custody. Officers say they recovered a knife during the arrest.

A taxi driver and a VicPD officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries during a collision at Cook and Yates streets, while the department responded to the reports about the armed man.

The officer and taxi driver were taken to hospital, where they were treated and released.

The taxi and two VicPD vehicles were damaged during the crash and the intersection was closed for several hours. The cause of the collision is under investigation.

After the suspect was arrested, officers learned three people had been robbed and assaulted at knifepoint and a possible fourth victim had been stabbed.

The first victim reported they were walking with a friend on Yates Street near Vancouver Street when they were approached by a man. They said the man held a knife to the victim’s throat, threatened to kill them and demanded money, but the victim’s friend called 911 and the man left the scene. The victim did not sustain any physical injuries.

A second victim was approached by a man in the 900-block of Yates Street. The victim reported that the man claimed to have stabbed two people, brandished a knife and demanded money. The suspect then moved the knife towards the victim, who took hold of the man’s hand and began to fight for control of the knife. The victim fled from the man and left their belongings behind. The man chased after the victim with the knife, but the victim was able to elude him. The victim suffered a non-life-threatening laceration to their hand.

The suspect then reportedly tackled another person to the ground in the area of View and Blanshard streets. The victim said they were robbed at knifepoint. A witness intervened, which caused the suspect to leave the area with the victim’s belongings. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Later, police spoke with another victim who said they were in the area at the time and suffered a non-life-threatening stab wound to the chest. Officers are investigating to see if this incident is connected to the others.

Police said the man they arrested had an outstanding warrant and was violating a court-ordered condition not to possess knives. He was held for court and faces a series of recommended charges including multiple charges for assault with a weapon and robbery, obstruction of a police officer and breaching court-ordered conditions.

These incidents remain under investigation.

READ MORE: Child pornography investigations double on the West Shore


 

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroom@vicnews.com.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.