Police concerned for the man’s safety after threats posted to social media

A man has been charged in connection with the killing of a dog in Victoria’s Oaklands neighbourhood on Monday evening but police are urging the public to remain calm.

Victoria resident Brandon Norman Bartlett, 38, has been charged with one count of killing or injuring an animal.

READ ALSO: Dog dies, Victoria man arrested after incident in Oaklands

Members of the Victoria Police Department were called to the 1300-block of Hillside Avenue around 4 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of an incident between a man and a dog. They arrived at a multi-unit residential building to find the dog dead and the man gone, having fled into one of the building’s units.

A horrific scene and incident that started with injuries to a dog who succumbed to injuries. So sad. Shout out to @vicpdcanada officers and the GV Emergency Response Team who responded as male barricaded himself. Proud of our response and composure of officers. #proudchief https://t.co/chTmFhNjqh — Del Manak (@ChiefManak) January 21, 2020

VicPD called in back up – including both VicPD and Saanich police K9 officers and the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team’s crisis negotiators – but police said Bartlett was uncooperative.

They deployed less-lethal projectiles and took him into custody around 7 p.m. He was taken to hospital for evaluation.

In a Tweet, VicPD Chief Del Manak called the incident “a horrific scene and incident that started with injuries to a dog who succumbed to injuries.”

Investigators have determined that Bartlett was not the dog’s owner.

A dog was reported missing after residents noticed their home had been broken into just before officers were called to the incident in the 1300-block of Hillside Avenue. The dog’s owners weren’t home during the break and enter but immediately noticed their dog was missing when they returned.

Officers have confirmed that the dog that was killed was the same dog taken from the residence.

READ ALSO: Dog killed in fall from Vancouver highrise, sparking SPCA probe

VicPD investigators are asking the public to stay calm after spotting several social media posts identifying Bartlett and making threats. Officers noted that while the incident was disturbing and that the public has a right to be upset, there has been concern for Bartlett’s safety

A spokesperson for VicPD emphasized that threats such as these must be investigated and can have a negative impact on investigations and court outcomes.