Victoria police officers arrested a man at gunpoint outside a Pandora Avenue grocery store on Thursday morning after he reportedly threatened another man while showing a knife.
Officers were called to the 1000-block of Pandora Avenue just before 10 a.m. after receiving a report about a man “brandished a knife toward another man in a threatening manner after a verbal dispute.”
Police said the man fled into a grocery store in the same block. Officers and the K9 unit then found the suspect as he was exiting the store. Police said the previous incident involving the man warranted officers to draw their guns on him.
“Due to the fact that the man was believed to be armed with a weapon and had just committed a violent offence, officers arrested the suspect at gunpoint,” VicPD said.
Police found the man was in possession of three knives and brass knuckles after searching him. He isn’t supposed to possess knives or weapons under his current probation conditions, police said.
Nobody was injured in the incident and the 28-year-old Victoria man was taken to VicPD cells, where he was held for court. He faces recommended charges for breaching his probation.
Const. Cam MacIntyre, a VicPD spokesperson, told Black Press Media that two officers made the “high-risk” arrest, while a K9 team officer nearby also assisted, but did not deploy the police dog. In a high-risk arrest scenario, MacIntyre said one officer will have their gun drawn because officers can’t open themselves up to potential harm while trying to switch from a less-lethal weapon – such as a taser – to their gun if they’re rushed by a suspect.
In this scenario, the officer who draws their gun is supposed to be solely focused on assessing the incident’s risk, while other officers focus on giving demands and handcuffing suspects, MacIntyre said.
READ: Victoria police looking for wanted man
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