Man arrested in Burnaby after assaulting, disarming a police officer: RCMP

Mounties in Burnaby say a man was arrested on Monday after allegedly assaulting and attempting to disarm an officer.

The Burnaby RCMP says it happened at around 12 p.m. near Kingsway and McKay Avenue. Police say the officer was approached by a person who said a man was attacking people and walking through traffic and trying to open vehicle doors, whether they were parked or moving.

Police say someone called 911 at the same time and reported that a man with the same description was swinging a hammer around.

Mounties found the suspect, but police say the man demanded the officer’s firearm and lunged at them.

“The officer repeatedly yelled for the suspect to stop, but he actively resisted arrest and began to fight the officer,” the Burnaby RCMP stated in a release.

Police say the officer, the suspect, and another person helping the officer were all on the ground when more Mounties arrived. Even outnumbered, the suspect “did not comply with officers’ instructions and continued to actively resist arrest.”

Mounties say a Taser and “physical strikes” were used and the 46-year-old suspect was eventually arrested. The suspect and police officer were then taken to hospital to be assessed. The officer received treatment but police weren’t specific about the seriousness of the suspect’s injuries or whether they were treated.

The Burnaby RCMP says the suspect has a history of violent offences and multiple charges are being considered, assaulting a peace officer and disarming a peace officer being among them.