Police tackle and arrest man wielding pickaxe in Oak Bay

A man brandishing a pickaxe in Oak Bay on Tuesday afternoon had to be tackled to the ground by police before being arrested and transported to the hospital.

According to Oak Bay police, multiple people reported the man, who was yelling and holding the pickaxe on Oak Bay Avenue.

Once officers arrived, the man fled into a nearby coffee shop where he was eventually tackled and arrested by police.

No one was injured during the arrest, but the man was sent to hospital for a mental health assessment.

Oak Bay police files up, vehicle collisions down

Between 2017 and 2018, Oak Bay PD says that police files increased by roughly 10%.

In total, 4,812 cases were filed last year, up from 4,400 in 2017.

Out of the thousands of files made last year, 27 of the cases were assault. In 2017, 18 assault cases were recorded.

Meanwhile, mental health cases increased by 25% in 2018, and missing persons cases went up by 33%. In total there were 77 mental health files and 24 missing person investigations.

“It’s important to note that Oak Bay remains an incredibly safe community but we’re discussing this data to try to determine what we can do to enhance public safety,” Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties told Victoria Buzz.

While Oak Bay saw an increases in police files last year, there was a notable decrease in vehicle collisions.

In 2017 the municipality reported 143 collisions, while in 2018 there were 22 fewer incidents, with 121 collisions reported.