A 26 year old Saanich man is in custody this morning after an early morning domestic dispute.
At approximately 4:30 am, a 25 year old female reported that she had been assaulted by her boyfriend in the basement suite of a residence in the 3000 block of Earl Grey Street. The female, who sustained some facial injuries as a result of the assault, fled the residence prior to contacting police.
After interviewing the female, officers attended to the residence to continue with the investigation and to speak with the male suspect. The attending officers observed a male that appeared to be sleeping on a couch, along with what appeared to be a long gun or rifle.
The residence was surrounded and contained. Nearby residences were evacuated to ensure the safety of the public, and the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team was activated.
Negotiators with the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team were successful in contacting the 26 year old suspect and negotiating his departure from the residence. The male was taken into custody without incident at approximately 9:20 am.
This matter is still under active investigation and investigators will be applying for a search warrant to search the residence for any evidence.
“At this time, it is not known why the suspect may have had a weapon. There are a multitude of possibilities. It is possible that he intended on harming himself, harming his girlfriend if she returned, or harming police when they attended to investigate” Sgt. Steve Eassie said. “We are thankful that this incident ended without anyone being harmed by the weapon”.
“We would like to acknowledge and thank the immediate residents in the area who were disturbed in the early morning hours for their cooperation and understanding during this incident” Inspector Scott Green said.
Numerous charges are expected to laid against the 26 year old suspect, although at this early stage of the investigation, it is too early to state what those charges may be. It is anticipated that the charges may include assault, breach of conditions, mischief, and weapons related offences.
The 26 year old has had previous contact with police and was noted to be on court conditions as a result of previous domestic violence related charges.
The suspect remains in custody and will appear for a telebail hearing later today.
As further information becomes available it will be shared. Please expect an update on the investigation on Monday morning.
File 2013-13986
Sgt. Steve Eassie #158