A 36-year-old Victoria man is facing multiple charges after police say he threatened a group of people with a knife and later resisted arrest.
The conclusion of the incident, caught on video and uploaded to Youtube, took place around 6 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Douglas and Yates streets. The video shows a scuffle between VicPD officers and the suspect, but the limited footage doesn't tell the whole story, said VicPD spokesman Bowen Osoko.
"Around 4 p.m., officers responded to a call of a man with a weapon in the 900-block of Douglas St.," Osoko said. "They observed a guy on surveillance video brandishing a knife towards a group of people."
When police caught up with the suspect two hours later, officers noticed a knife sticking out of his pocket and told him to throw the weapon on the ground.
"He instead drew the knife, and that's when a physical struggle ensued," Osoko said, adding the initial confrontation wasn't caught on video.
The Youtube video then shows officers attempting to tackle and unsuccessfully handcuff the man before he begins running away. Two police officers then taser the man and he appears to fall involuntarily to the ground.
"The first taser strike was ineffective, you can actually hear it (on the video)," Osoko said. "(The suspect) starts walking towards the crowd … and so both officers have to deploy their tasers at the same time."
The man was transported to hospital for minor lacerations to his forehead – a result of the fall – and was then remanded into custody. A VicPD officer was also treated for minor cuts and scrapes, Osoko said.
The suspect faces charges of assault with a weapon, assault with intention to resist arrest and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C., which oversees police-related incidents involving serious harm or death, was notified and has decided not to pursue an investigation at this time, Osoko said.
dpalmer@vicnews.com