Victoria’s police chief says an incident in which a man allegedly attacked a paramedic and first responders who were surrounded by a hostile crowd is an “escalation in aggressive behaviour towards first responders.”
During the incident, a man receiving medical treatment allegedly attacked one of the paramedics helping him. When officers responded to the situation, police say they faced a hostile crowd of up to 60 people.
“This behaviour is unacceptable and as the Chief Constable, I will not tolerate it,” Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said in a statement.
“The incident from Pandora Avenue last night may feel like a wake-up call, but it only reflects one piece of the trend our front-line officers have been experiencing.”
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According to police, the attack happened when paramedics were flagged down to help a man in medical distress just before 8 p.m. on Thursday.
Responding officers faced an “increasingly hostile” crowd after they used a Taser to arrest the suspect, police said in a media release.
Manak said an emergency meeting with Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto, and paramedic and firefighter leadership concluded that fire and ambulance crews will no longer respond to the 900 block of Pandora Avenue without a police escort.
“Let me be clear: this is a required step in response to escalated tensions we have observed, but it is going to create significant workload pressures on VicPD and reduce timeliness of medical response, in situations where every second counts,” Manak said.
“This will also reduce our ability to respond to other calls for service, directly impacting Victoria and Esquimalt residents when they need us most.”
Manak said he recognized the different backgrounds and complex needs of the people on Pandora Avenue, but that first responders should never feel their safety is threatened.
Hayden Hamlyn has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and resisting arrest over the Thursday night incident.
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