An Innisfail man who allegedly abducted his ex-girlfriend and assaulted two police officers March 28 appeared before Airdrie Court yesterday facing 15 charges.
“We won't be releasing the name (of the accused) to protect the identity of the victim,” said Sgt. Patricia Neely, with the RCMP. She said for the same reason police also won't comment on where the victim, who was abducted from her home sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, is from.
The two were at CrossIron Mills on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 28. The victim was able to write a note in the women's bathroom and passed it over to a Good Samaritan, explained Neely. The note asked the Good Samaritan to call 911 as she had been abducted and assaulted.
The note was handed over to mall security who contacted the police and located the victim and suspect and took them to the security office.
A police press release explains two plainclothes officers were nearby and responded immediately. The police officers identified themselves to the victim but the suspect became angry and assaulted the woman in front of police. When the police tried to arrest the man, he resisted and fought with them before he was eventually handcuffed.
“There were some soft tissue injuries,” said Neely of the officers' injuries. Both police and the victim were taken to hospital for examination and were treated and released from the urgent care centre.
The victim had recently broken off her relationship with the accused because of previous abusive behaviour, said police.
The man had been arrested and released on strict conditions a week prior, on March 15, after the victim had called the police. He broke bail conditions and attended the woman's house and abducted and assaulted her and threatened her dog's life, police added.
The man faces 15 charges including break and enter with intent, forcible confinement, choking to overcome resistance, assault, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and other offences.
