An incident at Victoria’s tent city resulted in four police officers being injured this evening, with three sent to hospital.
It happened shortly after 7:20 p.m., when officers heard what they believed was a domestic assault. When they tried to stop the assault, a “highly combative” man began to assault them, said the Victoria Police Department.
“Two assisting officers were also assaulted and a TASER was then deployed gain control of the man who was then taken into custody without further incident,” they said in a statement.
The three officers sent to hospital all suffered non-life threatening injuries. The man who allegedly assaulted the officers was transported to hospital, before being put in custody for the evening.
The police department is recommending several charges against the suspect – including assaulting a police officer and possession of a prohibited weapon – and he will appear in court tomorrow.
Earlier this month, a British Columbia judge ordered the shut down of the camp on the lawn of Victoria’s courthouse, where about 100 people have been living since last fall.
In his decision, Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson said that violence and criminal activity at the camp have “markedly increased” in recent months.
– With files from The Canadian Press