city beat

On Thursday morning at 2:30am, a man was severely beaten by four assailants in the alley next to Still Life boutique, on the 500 block of Johnson street in Victoria. This reporter witnessed the four men kick the victim in the head repeatedly as he lay on the ground, while another man yelled, "Stop kicking him! He's a human being for god's sake!" The assailants then fled the scene on foot, first attempting to hail a cab, then running North on Government street, and West on Pandora street. This reporter followed the men and described their appearances and movements to a 911 emergency dispatcher. The men were last seen climbing the fence into the vacant lot adjacent Swan's Hotel, between Pandora and Fisgard streets.

This reporter then circled the block back to where the man had been assaulted, where Police officers were attending to the man. This reporter told an officer where the assailants had fled, to which he replied, "yes, we'll be sending a Police Car." It is unknown whether anyone was apprehended in relation to the incident. A Freedom of Information request will be filed.

...

This was an appaling assault to have witnessed, and I have been deeply disturbed by both the viciousness of the attack, and the lack of urgency displayed by the VicPD member with whom I spoke. While the assailants were disappearing into the night, the officer merely attempted to aid the victim. Perhaps I am ignorant of police procedure, but I would have thought apprehending the assailants would have been a higher priority. Surely paramedics could have attended to the victim's injuries while the police nabbed the bad guys. If these guys got away I will be very cross; they climbed into a vacant lot from which there was only one other exit: over the fence on the Fisgard street side. With a cruiser on either side of the lot these men would not have been able to escape. I am looking into this matter to discover the outcome of the situation. Further updates as details become available. Until then, be careful out there.

-- Post From Taxi