Friday, March 29, 2024

Nanaimo man attempted to steal gun from RCMP officer’s holster during arrest

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A Nanaimo RCMP’s officer was put at risk last week, when a suspect he was arresting attempted to steal the officer’s gun from his holster. 

At approximately 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 28th, a suspect attempted to grab a Mountie’s holstered firearm and made threats to use it against the officer. 

The incident, which occurred in the area of Promenade Drive, began as reports of a shoplifter. 

The suspect had allegedly thrown cosmetics at a Loss Prevention Officer (LPO) at London Drugs before threatening them with bear spray and fleeing on foot.

He was last seen heading toward the waterfront, where an officer located and approached the suspect.

The officer informed the suspect he was under arrest and proceeded to try to secure his wrist. 

During this process, the suspect attempted to grab the officer’s holstered firearm and made threats to shoot him with it. 

A civilian, overseeing the incident, intervened, distracting the suspect long enough for another officer to arrive. 

The two officers were then able to subdue the man and handcuff him. 

“This was an extremely dangerous and volatile situation for the officer. It is also a stark reminder of the dangers that front line officers are faced with,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of Nanaimo RCMP.

“The officer involved is to be commended for staying in the battle, using their training and relying on their physical conditioning to successfully meet the challenge.”

The suspect, 31-year-old Brian Imhoff, was arrested for assaulting a police officer, attempting to disarm a police officer, and uttering threats.

Imhoff appeared in court on January 4th where he was remanded into police custody until January 18th. 

Thankfully, the officer involved was not seriously injured in the incident.

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Victoria Buzz Staffhttps://www.victoriabuzz.com
Your inside source for Greater Victoria happenings. Established in 2012.

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