An RCMP member was injured in an altercation with a suspect, when he responded to a 911 domestic violence complaint in Whitefish Lake First Nation on Saturday afternoon.
The St. Paul RCMP member was conducting a traffic stop on the main road in Whitefish Lake with a vehicle believed to have the 26-year-old suspect inside as a passenger. When the constable attempted to arrest the suspect, the male attacked him on the side of the road, according to a press release. “Intervention tools were deployed, however did not have the desired effect,” states the release. “The suspect continued to fight with the member while trying to gain entry into his police truck. The officer pulled the suspect away from the truck and both fell to the ground while continuing to struggle.”
The suspect punched the constable several times in the head and face and then tried to disarm him. The officer managed to fight the suspect off and maintained control of his sidearm, but the suspect was able to get into the driver’s seat of the police vehicle. The officer was dragged a short way while trying to prevent the suspect from driving off.
“The injured constable went to a nearby residence and with the help of the homeowner, was able to call for help,” states the release, which went on to state that backup members were able to trace the police vehicle using GPS to a location several kilometres away, where it was found in a ditch unoccupied and undamaged.
Local RCMP officers, with assistance from Whitefish Lake community members, were able to track the suspect on foot to a residence, on the south end of the reserve and at about 5:30 p.m., the suspect was arrested without further incident.
Dominic Timothy Jackson of Whitefish Lake First Nation is facing seven charges in relation to the day’s events, including assault on a police officer causing bodily harm, attempting to disarm a police officer, theft of a vehicle, flight from police, and resisting Arrest. Jackson was also wanted on four separate outstanding warrants totaling 19 criminal charges including Domestic assault, Domestic Assault with a Weapon, break and enter, and uttering threats.
The injured officer was taken by ambulance to the St. Paul hospital where he was treated and released later that night. The officer’s name is not being released at this time.
