Victoria police responded to several reports of youth violence in Esquimalt on Friday (May 17), marking a week of assaults in the municipality that has included five incidents involving pepper spray.
“Some youth in these groups are coming from neighbouring municipalities and causing a disturbance in Esquimalt,” Victoria police spokesperson Terri Healy said through a press release. “In response to this recent uptick, we will be increasing our proactive patrols in the Esquimalt area over the next few weekends.”
This follows a spate of violence the previous weekend during Esquimalt’s Buccaneer Days festivities in which police were called to reports if youth swarming and assaulting people with bear spray. In one instance a man with a cane was pushed to the ground and attacked.
Problems began this Friday when a young man was pepper-sprayed after trying to walk away from a group of youths acting aggressively toward him on the 1100 block of Esquimalt Road just before 8:30 p.m.
Police searched the area and arrested a suspect, who was later released into care of a guardian and with a future court date.
Then just after 9:30 p.m., police received multiple calls about a fight amongst a group of 20 to 30 youths on the 1200-block of Esquimalt Road. Last week’s swarming reports were in the same area as this fighting.
When officers arrived, the people involved scattered. Those that were questioned either were uncooperative or gave police conflicting accounts. No arrests were made, though police drove home several individuals and others were picked up by their caregivers.
No injuries were reported aside from the young male who was pepper-sprayed, who was treated by paramedics.
Police are asking anyone with further information about these incidents to call 250-995-7654, extension 1.
READ MORE: Man with cane swarmed, assaulted by youth in Esquimalt: VicPD
