High-Risk Arrest of Suspect in Akulivik

On Friday, officers received an emergency call for service reporting a fight involving a knife outside a residence.

Akulivik, July 8, 2020 — On Friday, officers received an emergency call for service reporting a fight involving a knife outside a residence. Police met with the accuser who reported being assaulted by a man who also threatened him with a knife. The accuser provided the name and description of the presumed aggressor.

Officers then patrolled the community and found a man matching the description provided by the accuser, holding a plank of wood of about 1 meter in length. The two officers then arrested the individual in a high-risk manner.

"Police officers must continuously assess the situation they face, and they select the most reasonable option relative to the circumstances," said Captain Mathieu Savage. "In this situation, they had information that the suspect had a knife, and they perceived a danger that could cause them serious bodily harm or death. Although they pointed their service weapons at the suspect, they used verbal communication to get the suspect to surrender peacefully. Nobody was injured during the arrest."

The individual was released from custody on Saturday morning