Man allegedly threatens passersby with knife in downtown Victoria

A knife-wielding man was taken into custody on Friday after a stand-off with Victoria police.

At about 7 pm on Friday, officers received several reports of a man yelling and threatening passersby while armed with a knife near the intersection of Bay and Blanshard streets.

The VicPD said in a statement that multiple officers responded, and within minutes the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) located the suspect near the intersection of Douglas Street and Hillside Avenue.

When confronted, the suspect did not comply with the direction of GVERT officers and reached for the knife in his possession.

The department said that their officers deployed a “less-lethal plastic projectile” and the man surrendered to police without further incident.

The man was transported to hospital for assessment, which occurs after a round is used on a person.

The man was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and once medically cleared he was transported to VicPD cells.

The man was later released from custody with a court date and conditions.