VICTORIA -- Victoria police say a man was arrested after he "aggressively followed a woman" in the Harris Green area on Wednesday night.
The woman told police that she was near the intersection of Cook Street and Rockland Avenue around 9 p.m. when a man began following her while yelling indiscriminately and hitting garbage cans.
The woman then ran from the area and called 911. Soon after, she spotted a bystander and stayed with them until police arrived.
VicPD says officers quickly found the man and arrested him. While he was being taken into custody, police say they found a knife in the man's possession, which violated a condition of his probation which banned him from owning a weapon of any kind.
The man was on probation after he beat another man with a wooden stick in downtown Victoria in November, say police.
VicPD officers arrested the man for breaching probation Wednesday, and took him to hospital due to an unspecified medical issue. He is currently being held in hospital under the mental health act.
Police say Wednesday's altercation is unrelated to recent incidents where women have been followed or assaulted in Victoria.
"VicPD officers are aware of these incidents and are responding," said police in a release Thursday.
"If you feel unsafe or are confronted by someone, please call 911 and, if possible, go to a public place, like a store, restaurant or community centre where other people are also in attendance," said VicPD. "Patrol officers will respond to these incidents with our highest priority."
Anyone with information on Wednesday's incident is asked to contact the VicPD non-emergency line at 250-995-7654 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
