On the heels of the BC government acknowledging an uptick in random violent attacks province-wide, VicPD are now investigating another incident of their own.
In a media release Monday, VicPD said they were looking for witnesses after a man was randomly attacked while walking along Dallas Road Saturday night.
The incident occurred just after 7 p.m. in the 500-block of Dallas Road, near the intersection of Dallas Road and Government Streets.
The victim, who reported the incident to police the following night, was walking westbound on the pathway when he was approached by a group of three men and three women walking in the opposite direction.
The man, who was listening to his earbuds, was walking alone when one of the men in the group suddenly punched him in the face, police said.
The unexpected punch caused the man to fall to the ground. He lost his earbuds in the process.
Oddly, his attacker then helped him find his earbuds on the ground and in the grass verge, before departing eastbound with the group towards Beacon Hill Park.
According to VicPD, the attacker did not say anything to the victim.
Police described the suspect as being a Caucasian man, between the ages of 25 to 30 years-old with a muscular, athletic build.
The suspect, with his group of friends, were last seen walking eastbound, along Dallas Road, towards Beacon Hill Park.
“Officers are responding to increasing numbers of reports of random attacks. If you are assaulted or confronted by someone, please get yourself to safety by moving away from that person to a well-populated location, and call 911,” VicPD said in a statement.
Last week, the BC government announced it is taking steps to address prolific offenders, hiring two experts to investigate necessary actions to curb an uptick in random violent attacks across the province.
A report released in April by the British Columbia’s Mayors’ Caucus (BCUMC) found crime patterns are shifting and hurting downtown retail areas more than ever, despite an overall decrease in crime throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BCUMC report highlighted the “catch and release” justice cycle and data showing that when arrested, repeat offenders often go uncharged or are promptly released on bail with no conditions.
In its report, the BCUMC cited 204 offenders from 10 urban cities, including Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, and Nanaimo, who together have racked up over 11,500 police reports.
In Victoria specifically, one offender generated 248 police incidents locally and across Vancouver Island, with 55 charges submitted to the BC Prosecution Service and 22 convictions received. Charges ranged from theft to assault.
Recently, VicPD issued a warning after a woman was randomly attacked from behind in James Bay last Saturday. The woman, who was walking her dog at the time of the attack, suffered head and facial injuries.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call VicPD Report Desk at (250) 995-7654 extension 1. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
With files from Ethan Morneau
