Date: Wednesday, October 20th, 2021

Files: 21-1774

Victoria, BC – A VicPD Patrol officer was sent to hospital this morning after he was assaulted while apprehending a man in Victoria.

Shortly after 10 a.m. this morning Patrol officers attended to a motel in the 100-block of Gorge Road East after a man called police, threatened to kill people, and advised that a deceased person was on his balcony. Upon arrival, officers encountered the man outside of the building and recognized that he was suffering from a mental health crisis. Officers worked to de-escalate the man using crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques. However, the man continued to exhibit concerning behaviour and officers believed he required a mental health assessment. Officers attempted to apprehend the man under the Mental Health Act and the man began to fight with police. The man punched an officer several times and officers deployed a Conductive Energy Weapon (CEW). However, the man continued to struggle after the CEW deployment.

Several additional police units attended and apprehended the man without further incident. He was transported to hospital for a mental health assessment. The officer was transported to hospital, where he was treated for a concussion and later released. He was unable to complete his shift.

The man will face recommended charges of assaulting a police officer.

This file remains under investigation.

If you have information about this incident please call our non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654 extension 1. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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