Neighbours describe frantic scene after man barges into Victoria home, fights with father

Victoria police say the incident began around 1:30 p.m. (CTV News)

It was a Tuesday afternoon to remember, according to Victoria resident Vera Weaver, who witnessed a man burst into a neighbour's home and scuffle with a resident before being arrested.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. at a townhouse community in the 2600-block of Dowler Place.

Victoria police said in a release Wednesday that officers spotted a group of people standing outside the townhouses, prompting one man to turn and leave the group.

As he was walking away, he reportedly dropped a loaded handgun on the ground and ran into a random townhouse that was occupied by a family of two children and their mother and father.

"A fellow ran past in a red jacket, went and ran toward the back of the buildings over here," said Weaver, gesturing to the building involved.

"[One] second behind him was a police officer. We heard something about gun," she said.

'HE'S NEXT DOOR'

Police say once the man was inside the townhouse, he pushed the mother inside and proceeded to fight with the father.

The father was able to wrestle the man outside the home's backdoor, prompting the man to flee over a fence and into a neighbour's backyard.

"We ran out the front of the house and grabbed the two children that were standing out front here – pulled them in just in time to see the gentleman come bursting out the backdoor of the neighbour's house, hit the husband, [and try] to climb over the fence," said Weaver.

Weaver says the man then tried to leave the neighbouring backyard but found its fence was locked. He then tried to break into the backdoor of the second house before police arrived.

"We watched just to make sure that they had him," she said. "It took a while for the police to figure out where he was, after I guess he went through the one house."

Police say the father of the initial house was briefly held at gunpoint as officers tried to determine who the suspect was.

"We were all screaming, 'Here he is, here he is!' said Weaver. "They put the gun on the husband before we were able to go, 'No, he's next door.'"

Police say no family members were injured during the incident, and the suspect suffered non-life-threatening injuries in his fight with the father.

Weaver says her family is fine as well, though some of her young children were understandably rattled for the rest of the day.

"They were nervous. They were shaking and wanted to know what was going on," she said.

"Hopefully they will get over it quickly and be able to come outside without being scared to play."