Victoria police say a man wanted for allegedly driving a truck onto the hood of a police vehicle in Central Saanich and attempting to ram three pedestrians near Dallas Road was arrested Tuesday.
The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team worked with officers from VicPD, Central Saanich Police Service, West Shore RCMP and the Saanich Police Department to locate and arrest the suspect.
The “high-risk vehicle arrest” happened at around 10 p.m. Tuesday at Bay and Blanshard streets and involved a “distraction device” that made a loud boom, Victoria police said.
The suspect was wanted in relation to two incidents. The first, on Aug. 31, took place at a gas station in the 6700-block of West Saanich Road, where a man drove a truck onto the hood of a police vehicle when a Central Saanich officer tried to stop him. Police said the officer was not physically injured. The man fled the scene in the truck.
On Sept. 5 around 4 a.m., a man tried to ram a woman and her two friends, who were all on foot, in the area of Dallas Road and Linden Street. He also attempted to assault one of the pedestrians with a weapon before fleeing the scene in a vehicle. VicPD said at the time the suspect and one of the victims knew each other.
“This arrest is a great example of collaboration with investigators from multiple agencies and the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team to ensure public safety,” said Central Saanich Police Chief Ian Lawson.
Johnathan Pocetti, 28, is being held in custody for court, police said.
