A Keremeos RCMP officer chased down a man “suffering a mental health crisis” and was stabbed in the process..The incident took place Monday afternoon when the frontline officer followed up on a “disturbance” call of a man reportedly outside of a woman’s residence screaming for help. The man in distress was known to the woman..The officer — who was alone — arrived and began speaking with the woman. It was at this time that the distressed man made “self-harm comments” and ran off. The officer pursued him and, while attempting to de-escalate the situation, was stabbed..Despite suffering a serious knife wound, the officer successfully took that attacker into custody without using lethal force. The officer then drove himself — with the arrested man — to a hospital where he was treated for a serious, but non-life threatening injury..The arrested man was processed by Penticton RCMP and taken to hospital under provisions of the Mental Health Act. He is facing potential charges including assault with a weapon and remains under medical care..“It is important to me that the public understand the risks our officers take every day in dealing with all kinds of people, and the elevated risk that is associated in dealing with those who are suffering mental health crisis,” said Supt. Brian Hunter, officer-in-charge of the Penticton South Okanagan Similkameen Regional RCMP..Hunter says the man is now receiving help and RCMP will allow the court to determine how best to move forward..“This could have been a very different result for both the officer and this man had this officer not had the will to survive, and fight through injury to get himself and the accused to care,” said Hunter..Reid Small is a BC-based reporter for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
A Keremeos RCMP officer chased down a man “suffering a mental health crisis” and was stabbed in the process..The incident took place Monday afternoon when the frontline officer followed up on a “disturbance” call of a man reportedly outside of a woman’s residence screaming for help. The man in distress was known to the woman..The officer — who was alone — arrived and began speaking with the woman. It was at this time that the distressed man made “self-harm comments” and ran off. The officer pursued him and, while attempting to de-escalate the situation, was stabbed..Despite suffering a serious knife wound, the officer successfully took that attacker into custody without using lethal force. The officer then drove himself — with the arrested man — to a hospital where he was treated for a serious, but non-life threatening injury..The arrested man was processed by Penticton RCMP and taken to hospital under provisions of the Mental Health Act. He is facing potential charges including assault with a weapon and remains under medical care..“It is important to me that the public understand the risks our officers take every day in dealing with all kinds of people, and the elevated risk that is associated in dealing with those who are suffering mental health crisis,” said Supt. Brian Hunter, officer-in-charge of the Penticton South Okanagan Similkameen Regional RCMP..Hunter says the man is now receiving help and RCMP will allow the court to determine how best to move forward..“This could have been a very different result for both the officer and this man had this officer not had the will to survive, and fight through injury to get himself and the accused to care,” said Hunter..Reid Small is a BC-based reporter for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
