No risk to public after police speak to 'suspicious' men reported in Saanich
Police in Saanich – including heavily armed Emergency Response Team officers – were called to search for two suspicious men near Mt. Tolmie Park Thursday afternoon.
The search lasted until nearly 10 p.m., when the Saanich Police Department tweeted that it had identified and spoken to the men, determining "there were no weapons involved and no risk to the public."
Earlier, a witness had described men "wearing army-type outfits" and possibly carrying a long gun, according to a Saanich police news release.
The Victoria Police Department posted a photo of someone who matched the description, saying that they were also investigating. The suspicious man in Victoria turned out to be one of the people Saanich police were looking for, VicPD said.
Officers conducted ground searches for the men from Mt. Tolmie to McKenzie Avenue with the assistance of an RCMP helicopter, according to Saanich police.
The department tweeted around 5:30 p.m. that one man was in custody, but later clarified that that man's apprehension was unrelated to the search.
The incident reflects a capital region on edge after a deadly shootout at a Bank of Montreal branch on Shelbourne Street in Saanich on Tuesday.
Despite the proximity, police said there was no indication that the suspicious men being sought Thursday were associated with Tuesday's bank robbery.
During that incident, police shot and killed two suspects at the bank. Six police officers were injured, and three of them remained in hospital Thursday.
Investigators said the two men killed during the shootout had not yet been identified Thursday, more than 48 hours after the incident took place.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.