A 28-year-old Victoria man carrying an axe was detained on Saturday after he told a concerned citizen he was looking for a confrontation with police.
Police were called to the 3000-block of Scott Street just before 9:30 a.m. after a resident noticed a man walking down the street carrying an axe.
“When the resident spoke with the man with the axe, the man indicated that he planned to head to a nearby shopping centre and seek a confrontation with police officers,” according to Victoria police spokesman Bowen Osoko.
Police said the man immediately became confrontational as soon as officers arrived.
Officers blocked off surrounding streets, and an officer tried to negotiate with the man using “employed verbal crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques” to peacefully resolve the situation.
After the man refused to drop the axe and told police he had other weapons, officers shot him with rubber bullets and bean-bag projectiles, which caused him to drop the axe and surrender.
He was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the hospital where he was medically cleared.
“This is the type of incident that, unfortunately, our officers frequently face in the course of their duties,” said VicPD Acting Chief Del Manak. “The crisis intervention and de-escalation training that all of our officers receive was put to good use to resolve this situation.”
The man is facing charges including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and breaching conditions.
Police say the same man is known to them and has been the subject of several calls to police in recent days.
Police are requesting he be held for a 30-day psychiatric evaluation out of concern for his well-being.
