Man who allegedly held knife to person's throat arrested after string of robberies in Victoria
Man who allegedly held knife to person's throat arrested after string of robberies in Victoria
The locations of the incidents are shown. (VicPD)
Victoria police say they arrested a man suspected of robbing and injuring several people with a knife in the downtown area last week.
Police say they received multiple 911 calls related to a man threatening, chasing, and robbing people with a knife in the Harris Green area on Friday night.
The first 911 call came in around 11:30 p.m. when the victim was walking with a friend on Yates Street near Vancouver Street.
The victim told police that a man held a knife to their throat and threatened to kill them while demanding money.
The victim's friend called 911 and the man fled the area. Police say the victim was not physically injured in the encounter.
SECOND INCIDENT
Moments later, police received multiple 911 calls about a second incident in the 900-block of Yates Street, close to where the first incident occurred.
The victim in the second incident told police that a man approached them and claimed to have stabbed two people.
The suspect then pulled out a knife and demanded money.
"The man then moved the knife towards the victim, who took hold of the man’s hand and began to fight for control of the knife," said VicPD in a release Friday.
Police say the victim suffered a non-life-threatening cut to their hand and was able to flee from the suspect.
The man chased after the victim while wielding the knife, which prompted multiple 911 calls, according to VicPD.
"The victim was able to elude the armed man and also called police," said VicPD on Monday.
THIRD INCIDENT
Just blocks away from where the second incident occurred, police say they received a report of a man tackling a person to the ground near the intersection of Blanshard Street and View Street.
"The suspect again brandished a knife and robbed the victim," said VicPD.
A bystander attempted to intervene in the assault, prompting the man to flee with the victim's belongings. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the encounter, police say.
SUSPECT ARRESTED
Police say "every available officer" responded to the 911 calls Friday night, and the first officer to arrive at the scene located the man near the intersection of Yates and Vancouver streets.
The officer drew their service pistol and told the man, who was wielding a knife, to stop, police say.
The man fled the area, prompting the officer to holster their pistol and chase the man on foot.
During the chase, the officer deployed a Taser, which hit the man but did not stop him, according to VicPD.
"The officer then closed the distance and tackled the armed man to the ground," police say. "Additional responding officers arrived and assisted in taking the man into custody."
Officers also found a knife on the man while he was being arrested, according to VicPD.
"Officers were later put in contact with another potential victim who was in the area when the robberies and assaults occurred [who] had suffered a non-life-threatening stab wound to the chest," police said.
Investigators are still working to determine if the stab wound is related to the robberies that occurred.
Police believe that there may be more victims related to Friday's incidents and are asking those potential victims to come forward and speak with investigators.
POLICE-INVOLVED CRASH
Victoria police say two police vehicles were also involved in a crash with a taxi while responding to the incident.
One VicPD officer and the taxi driver suffered non-life-threatening injures in the crash, which occurred at the intersection of Cook and Yates streets.
Both people were taken to hospital by ambulance, where they were later released that same night, according to VicPD.
The intersection was closed for several hours while police examined the scene.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Police say the suspect is facing recommended charges of assault with a weapon, robbery, obstruction of a police officer and breaching court-ordered conditions.
Victoria police say the man was already wanted on an outstanding warrant, and that he was violating a court-ordered condition not to possess knives.
Anyone with information about any of the incidents listed above is asked to call Victoria police at 250-995-7654.
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The locations of the incidents are shown. (VicPD)
