One man is in custody after he shot at Nanaimo RCMP officers multiple times Sunday night.
The incident began around 6 p.m. September 18th, in a wooded area between Schook Road and Dover Road in Nanaimo.
RCMP officers responded to the area after receiving reports of a man walking with a long gun in his possession.
“This is a busy area with an off-leash dog park, sports fields and a skateboard park,” RCMP said in a media release.
Shortly after the call, one of the officers located the suspect sitting on a rock on Schook Road. He pointed his gun directly at the officer’s patrol car.
Nanaimo RCMP said the officer was able reverse their vehicle to a safe distance, exit the vehicle and take a tactical position behind the car.
The suspect shot at the police cruiser which caused the bullet to deflect, striking the officer in the leg.
Police said “the officer immediately checked themself for any physical injuries and realized they had been struck with a BB pellet.”
As more officers arrived, the suspect hid behind a large rock and continued to discharge his weapon toward police—striking a couple police cruiser, which damaged the windshield of one of the police vehicles.
Police said the suspect then ran across the sports fields and was pursued and captured by the police dog, Luthor.
The suspect fought with Luthor and was stopped and restrained by the other officers, including the officer shot in the leg.
A black airgun, a tin of BB pellets and a box of CO2 canisters were seized at the scene.
Daniel Mcclintock, 35, has been charged with assaulting three police officers, mischief for damaging a police cruiser, possession of a dangerous weapon and failing to comply with a release order.
Mcclintock is being held in remand until Tuesday, September 20th.
“No one comes to work expecting to get shot,” said Cst WADE of the Nanaimo RCMP.
“We come to work knowing that our training can keep us safe and secure in the knowledge that our fellow officers will have our backs. We feel fortunate that none of the officers involved were seriously injured.”
