Charges laid after paramedic assaulted during call on Victoria's Pandora Avenue

An assault on a paramedic led to a massive police presence in Victoria Thursday night, and is now prompting changes to the way BC Emergency Health Services responds to calls in the notorious 900 block of Pandora Avenue.

According to the Victoria Police Department, the assault occurred shortly before 8 p.m.

Paramedics were "flagged down" to help a man in need of medical assistance, police said in a news release Friday.

"While the individual was being cared for, he attacked one of the paramedics, striking and kicking them in the face," the release reads.

"The paramedic fled towards a nearby Victoria Fire truck, which was on scene for an unrelated matter, but was pursued by the suspect who continued to act aggressively towards first responders."

Police officers were called to the scene and arrived to find the man continuing to "exhibit aggressive behaviour," according to the VicPD.

The department said the man ignored commands from officers, who deployed a "conductive energy weapon" against him, then took him into custody.

By this time, a crowd of "approximately 60 bystanders" had gathered, surrounding the assembled first responders. Police said the crowd "became increasingly hostile" toward the officers after the arrest was made.

"Officers called for additional resources to gain control of the situation and prevent it from escalating further," the VicPD release reads.

The department did not specify which police agencies provided those resources in its news release, but said in a post on social media that the Saanich Police Department, Oak Bay Police Department and West Shore RCMP all sent officers to the scene.

"VicPD thanks all of the neighbouring police agencies for their quick response and assistance," the release reads.

In an update Friday afternoon, police identified the suspect as Hayden Hamlyn and said he had been charged with assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

Online court records show Hamlyn was born in 1997, which would make him 26 or 27 years old. The charges against him have not been proven. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on July 16.

The injured paramedic was taken to hospital for treatment, and two police officers suffered minor injuries during the incident, but did not require hospitalization, police added.

Changes to Pandora Avenue EHS calls

In a joint memo to all BCEHS employees shared with CTV News on Friday, the provincial agency and the union that represents its paramedics said a "full investigation" of the incident will be conducted.

"We recognize there is inherent risk being front-line emergency paramedics, as we often work in uncontrolled work environments, but no paramedic should be harmed while performing their duties," the memo reads.

"Last night's incident is concerning and unacceptable."

The memo goes on to remind workers that they have the right to refuse unsafe work and will be supported by their employer and their union if they choose to withdraw from "escalating situations."

"The area where this incident occurred, on the 900 block of Pandora, is known to have challenges," the memo continues. "For the time being, to enhance the safety of our staff, no BCEHS paramedics will respond to calls in this area without a police escort."

The memo also confirms that the paramedic victim, who has not been named publicly, has been released from hospital and is recovering at home.

"Our thoughts are with this individual, their crew, their platoon, our dispatchers and their family and friends," the memo reads.

In addition to the VicPD and the Saanich, Oak Bay and West Shore agencies, the Central Saanich Police Service and Sidney/North Saanich RCMP also responded to the scene, according to the memo.

"We would like to thank our first responder and policing partners and all members of the BCEHS team, for their prompt assistance during this incident," it concludes.