A pregnant woman was rushed to hospital after she was struck in the stomach by a brick thrown by a person in the throes of an apparent mental health crisis downtown.

According to Nanaimo RCMP, the incident happened at about 3:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 8, after a 37-year-old woman became violent and started striking out randomly at people on Victoria Crescent. The suspect then ran up Commercial Street to Museum Way where she threw a brick at the victim.

鈥淚t was quite clear the individual was in a mental health crisis and was causing a disturbance on the street and at one point picked up a brick and threw the brick at a mother and her daughter,鈥� said reserve Const. Gary O鈥橞rien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson.

The victim, who was with her four-year-old daughter, managed to shield the girl from the brick that was thrown from about one metre away.

鈥淪he stepped in front of her daughter, who may have taken the brunt of the brick if she hadn鈥檛 done that,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淪he was quite far along in her pregnancy, too, and was taken to hospital.鈥�

He said several bystanders got control of the suspect, and with help from a downtown security guard, managed to detain the individual until police arrived.

O鈥橞rien described the suspect as someone well-known to police, but who can鈥檛 be identified until charges have been formally laid. The suspect remains in custody and could be facing a charge of assault with a weapon. No court date has been set.

Police did not have an update on the pregnant woman鈥檚 condition.

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