One man is in custody following a series of assaults and knife point robberies in downtown Victoria on St. Patrick’s Day.
On Friday, March 17th, at around 11:30 p.m., VicPD responded to multiple calls on a man armed with a knife who was randomly robbing and assaulting people in the downtown area.
Callers reported that at least one person had been injured.
Police said every available officer responded to the area.
An officer located the suspect near the intersection of Yates and Vancouver Streets, then drew their gun and attempted to arrest the armed man, but he managed to flee.
The officer then chased the man on foot, using a conducted energy weapon (CEW) to subdue him, which proved ineffective.
The officer ultimately tackled the man to the ground, and additional officers arrived to assist in taking him into custody. A knife was recovered during the arrest.
Further investigation revealed that the man had robbed and assaulted three people at knifepoint, and potentially stabbed a fourth, all within a short period of time.
The first victim reported that they were walking with a friend on Yates Street near Vancouver Street when the suspect held a knife to the victim’s throat, threatened to kill them, and demanded money.
The victim’s friend called 911, and the man fled. The victim was unharmed in the attack.
The second victim reported that the man approached them on Yates Street, claimed to have stabbed two people, brandished a knife, and demanded money.
The victim fought for control of the knife, suffering a non-life-threatening laceration to their hand, and fled from the man, leaving their belongings behind.
The suspect then tackled a person to the ground in the area of View and Blanshard streets, robbed them at knifepoint, and fled the area with their belongings.
A bystander attempted to intervene, resulting in the suspect fleeing the scene. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers were later contacted by another potential victim who was in the area during the robberies and assaults who had a non-life-threatening stab wound to the chest. Officers are investigating whether this person’s injuries are related to the above incidents and believe that there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward.
During the police response to the incident, a VicPD officer and a taxi driver were injured in a crash at Cook and Yates Streets. Both were treated and released from the hospital.
Two VicPD vehicles and the taxi were also damaged in the accident, and the intersection remained closed for several hours while evidence was gathered.
The suspect complained of leg pain after his arrest and was transported to the hospital for evaluation. He was later determined to be uninjured and held in custody until his tele bail hearing.
Police said the man had an outstanding arrest warrant and was in violation of a court-ordered condition not to possess knives.
The suspect faces multiple recommended charges, including multiple counts of assault with a weapon and robbery, obstruction of a police officer, and breaching court-ordered conditions.
Court records identify the suspect as Noah Stinson who has several pending trial dates for numerous weapons, DUI, obstruction, and drug charges. He also has two previous convictions for assault.
VicPD is urging anyone with information about the incidents or anyone who was robbed and/or assaulted to call the VicPD at (250) 995-7654.
