Danielle Bell (Victoria Times Colonist) – A Nanaimo RCMP officer was attacked and choked by a man and his girlfriend after a routine traffic stop on Tuesday that police say could have turned more serious had a passerby not stopped to help.
Sharkie Joe Whalen, 20, and Nicole McWhirter, 19, face several charges in connection with the attack that police say began shortly after 6 p.m. when the officer approached two people in a parked vehicle that did not appear to have insurance.
Police also want to find the man driving by who helped the officer subdue the suspects. They want to thank him and get some information.
Police say traffic stops can be one of the most dangerous situations they face, but add attacks are rare.
To act both as a deterrent and to provide evidence in court, Nanaimo is also slated to install in-car cameras in police cruisers, which record video and audio, sometime this year.
In Tuesday’s incident, police say the male driver gave the officer a false name and became aggressive when confronted. As the officer attempted to arrest the driver, police say the suspect threw a hot cup of coffee in his face and started punching him. During the struggle, the female passenger got out of the vehicle, jumped onto the officer’s back and put him in a choke hold.
Police said the officer called for backup after he ran the licence plate “but at that time it wasn’t urgent,” and the officer approached the vehicle alone, said Nanaimo RCMP Const. Mandy Edwards of the serious crime unit.
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