It took multiple shots from a conducted energy weapon and some intervention from a pair of civilians to stop a man police say assaulted paramedics and then violently resisted arrest.
According to an RCMP release, members of their Winnipegosis detachment got a call from EMS at about 10:45 AM on July 28. Paramedics had been transporting a 38-year-old patient from Pine Creek First Nation to a hospital in Dauphin when they allege he assaulted one of them with a pair of shears.
Police allege when the officer met the ambulance on Highway 20, north of Winnipegosis, the patient was still in the back of the ambulance and still armed with shears.
“Despite continued requests to drop the weapon, he did not comply,” reads the release from RCMP. “The male then aggressively approached the officer with the shear, and a Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) was deployed but had no effect.”
From there, police said the patient left the back of the ambulance and, still holding the shears, began walking northbound on Highway 20.
“As vehicles slowed and eventually stopped at the scene, a female exited the passenger side of one of the stopped vehicles and the suspect entered the vehicle and began assaulting the driver with the weapon, with a child in the backseat.”
Police said the officer, the female passenger, and the driver attempted to restrain the patient, and got the shears away from him. The suspect continued to fight, however, leading police to use another non-lethal weapon, a 40mm extended range impact weapon. They said this, too, had no effect on the suspect. Finally, a second officer used their CEW and this one was successful enough for police to apprehend the suspect.
After being transported to hospital and evaluated by medical staff, police said he was released back into their custody.
38-year-old Randy Nepinak of Pine Creek First Nation is charged with assault with a weapon, assault, resisting/obstructing a peace officer, possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, robbery with an offensive weapon (x2), and assault on a police officer with a weapon causing bodily harm. He is presumed innocent.
Police add one of the paramedics and the driver of the vehicle suffered minor physical injuries. They continue to investigate.
