A blood trail of more than two kilometers led Victoria Police to a person suffering “significant” medical and mental distress, concluding a hours search on Saturday.
Around 8:45 a.m., VicPD officers were called to a bus stop in the 1200 block of Esquimalt Road after a passerby allegedly found a large pool of blood.
As officers investigated, they discovered that the trail extended throughout the neighborhood, according to VicPD in a news release Tuesday.
A photo captured by CHEK News shows an investigator photographing blood on the sidewalk in front of the Archie Browning Sports Center at 1151 Esquimalt Rd.
“Concerned that a person may be suffering from life-threatening injuries and after confirming that no one with potentially related injuries was in the hospital, officers began a thorough search,” police said.
Officers from the VicPD Forensic Identification Section and Community Engagement Division responded and, during their search, were approached by residents who had seen blood elsewhere.
“Officers, both on foot and in vehicles, traced a trail that extended more than two kilometers through Esquimalt Township, toward Vic West, and then into downtown Victoria,” VicPD said in the statement.
They say officers found “several scenes” with significant amounts of blood, including one spot with bloody clothing.
A VicPD officer reviewed surveillance footage from the night before of a person in the 1200 block of Esquimalt Road with an active, untreated injury, “which they appear to be unaware of,” police said.
A still photo of the injured person was then distributed to officers.
“Minutes later, a patrol officer in downtown Victoria spotted a person who matched the photograph,” VicPD said.
“The officer approached the individual and found that he was in medical and psychological distress, with untreated injuries related to a medical condition that (was) causing significant bleeding.”
According to VicPD, the person refused medical treatment and was detained by officers under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital for treatment.
Police say investigation indicates the person’s injuries were due to a medical condition, not a criminal matter.
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