A large police presence in downtown Victoria on Saturday evening was sparked by reports of a person pointing what appeared to be a handgun at people walking along View Street.
According to the VicPD, officers were called to the 600 block of View Street around 5:20 p.m. on March 7th after members of the public reported a person pointing a firearm in the busy downtown area.
Given the report of a weapon in a densely populated part of the city, the call was classified as “high risk.” Multiple VicPD officers and members of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team were deployed to the scene.
Police say officers issued several commands to the suspect upon arrival, but the individual did not comply. Officers then deployed two less-lethal impact projectiles, known as ARWEN rounds, before taking the person into custody.
After the arrest, officers determined the handgun that prompted the public complaint was actually a lighter.
The individual was taken to hospital but refused treatment for minor injuries and was later released from custody. Police say no criminal charges are being requested at this time.
Under the Police Act, the incident has been reported to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner because an injury occurred during the arrest.
