Victoria police have a man in custody after a stabbing at the city’s growing tent encampment.
The incident happened in the 800-block of Burdett Ave, shortly after 3:40 a.m. Thursday.
Police found a man running away from the area and chased after him.
After the suspect attempted to evade police through alleys and parking lots in the area, officers were able to take him into custody, in the 900-block of Blanshard Street.
He remains in custody and is known to police.
The victim suffered a stab wound and was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police believe it was an isolated incident, but investigators say they don’t know what the connection between the two men may be or if the two were campers in the tent city.
Asked about violence in the encampment, Victoria mayor Lisa Helps says there has not been a big increase in police calls to the site of the tent city recently.
“These incidents are really unfortunate,” says Helps. “There are one or two perpetrators, but that does not mean that the rest of the people down there are terrible, violent people.
“They are trying to stay safe, as well. It is a safety concern for people living in the tents as well as the residents living nearby.”
Helps says the province will not enforce any kind of movement out of the tent city until a temporary shelter is open, but the deeper underlying problem is the lack of funding for affordable housing.
Investigators are actively searching for the knife believed to be have been used in the stabbing.
Anyone who locates an item like this in the area is asked not to touch it and immediately call 911.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact VicPD.
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