Saanich police arrested a man who was reportedly brandishing a weapon near the Tillicum Centre on Tuesday afternoon.
Sgt. Dean Jantzen, a public information officer with the Saanich Police Department, told Black Press Media the incident garnered a robust response around 3 p.m. due to the number of people likely to be in the area near the shopping centre at that time.
The man brandished the non-firearm weapon at officers, Jantzen said, before attempting to flee from police. He was safely arrested, near the Burnside Road Royal Bank of Canada branch, without incident shortly after, police said.
The man, who’s in his 30s, will likely face weapons-related charges.
Jantzen said it was “readily apparent” to both police and those who reported the incident that the man had a weapon.
“It was safely resolved in a very short period of time and the suspect gave themselves up,” Jantzen said.
He said more information about the event would likely be released on Wednesday.
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