AUTUMN MacDONALD
Observer Reporter
A Quesnel RCMP officer used a taser in defence of another colleague early Sunday morning.
Sunday at 2:38 a.m., Mounties responded to a single motor vehicle collision on Dragon Lake Hill.
Officers found a 2000 Ford Focus Sedan overturned in the northbound ditch of Highway 97. Two people were on scene from the vehicle, one male, 22, and one female, 20, both from Quesnel.
"From there, things happened very quickly," Sgt. Gary Clark-Marlow said.
As police investigators and ambulance personnel attempted first aid on the female passenger, who had sustained minor injuries, the male driver became belligerent.
Police arrested the male passenger for obstruction.
As officers attempted to move the driver away from the emergency personnel, the driver, without warning, struck the officer in the face with his hand, causing the officer to fall to the ground.
The driver jumped onto the officer and continued his attack.
It was then a second officer used a Conducted Energy Weapon (taser) in the touch stun mode.
The driver ceased his attack and was arrested for assaulting a peace officer and charged with impaired driving.
"In these types of situation, officers perform risk assessment," Clark-Marlow said.
"They then choose an appropriate course of action."
The driver was removed from the scene and taken into Quesnel's detachment where he was involved in a second altercation.
He was booked into cells and released Sunday at 3:15 p.m. through a Judicial Justice of the Peace.
He's charged with impaired driving, impaired driving causing bodily harm, refusal of breath testing, obstruction, assaulting a peace officer and assault causing bodily harm.
The officer suffered injuries to his right eye and nose. Both he and the passenger of the vehicle were transported by B.C. Ambulance to G.R. Baker Hospital where they were both treated and released.
Due to the eye injury, the RCMP officer can't work for an undetermined period of time.
Clark-Marlow said any violence towards an officer is a major concern, but would not comment further on the case as it may impede the investigation.
He would not reveal the gender of the officers.
Anyone with information concerning the incident, or who may have witnessed the MVA or the altercation and have not yet been interviewed by police, call RCMP 992-9211.