A Nova Scotia man is facing impaired driving and assault charges after he allegedly attacked an RCMP officer and tried to flee the scene, while a child was inside the vehicle.
The RCMP says an officer was on patrol on Highway 1 in Wilmot, N.S., around 9:50 p.m. Sunday when they spotted a vehicle that was driving “suspiciously slowly.”
The officer checked the licence plate and realized that the vehicle had been reported stolen.
Police say the vehicle turned into a driveway and the driver got out. The officer suspected that the driver was impaired and told him he was under arrest.
Police allege the driver then assaulted the police officer, got back inside the vehicle, and tried to flee the scene, while the driver’s side door was still open.
The officer reached through the open door and tried to remove the man from the vehicle, but police say he continued to drive forward, striking the RCMP cruiser, then backed up, hitting a tree.
The RCMP officer used pepper spray on the man, who got out of the vehicle, allegedly assaulted the officer a second time, and took off into the woods on foot.
Police searched the area with the help of an RCMP police dog team, but they were unable to locate the suspect.
He was later located and arrested without incident.
The RCMP officer was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
A 10-year-old child, who was inside the vehicle during the incident, was taken to hospital as a precaution.
The driver is facing charges of possession of stolen property, impaired driving, resisting arrest, and assault of a peace officer.
The 36-year-old Wilmot man is due to appear in Digby provincial court Wednesday.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and they are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the RCMP.
