Note: This story has been updated from its original version.
A Victoria business owner has come forward following reports a child accidentally pricked themselves on a discarded needle Monday afternoon at the McDonald’s franchise he owns on Pandora Avenue.
“As the owner of a local family friendly business, I am treating this incident with the utmost priority and taking the situation very seriously,” Wayne Krawchuck said in a statement Tuesday.
“We have spoken with the family involved, and are also working closely with the local police.”
The parents realized something was wrong when their child began crying, according to the Victoria Police Department.
RELATED: Syringe found in downtown Victoria parking dispenser
“Upon inspection by the parents, they noticed an uncapped syringe. The three-year-old was taken to hospital suffering non-life threatening injuries,” according to a statement from VicPD.
Police said after speaking with witnesses, reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with the individual who used the needle, it has been determined that the syringe was being used for a medical purpose and was not placed with any malicious intent.
RELATED: Needle found on handrail of Victoria parkade
Last summer a security guard patrolling a downtown parkade found a syringe taped to the underside of a hand railing on Yates St. and in Nov. 2017 an uncapped syringe was found in a downtown parking ticket dispenser.
The McDonald’s location where this incident occurred is across the street from Victoria’s largest inner-city community centre that includes transitional housing, counselling and outreach service.
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