INNISFAIL – A local man has been detained in custody following a violent residential incident that resulted in police deploying potent tear gas in the bathroom where the accused had barricaded himself.
RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said in a media release issued Thursday that on Aug. 17 Innisfail RCMP were called to assist with a dispute at a residence in the downtown area of Innisfail.
“It was learned that the suspect had assaulted the victim by punching him,” said Savinkoff. “The suspect was arrested for assault and later released with conditions.”
Savinkoff said on Aug. 20 RCMP were again called to the same property as the suspect had returned contrary to his release conditions.
He said RCMP attended the property where the suspect yelled and threatened police that he would assault them if they entered the residence.
Savinkoff said RCMP then obtained a warrant to enter the residence.
“RCMP members attempted to negotiate the suspect into surrendering which ultimately produced no results,” said Savinkoff.
He said RCMP then breached the door in an attempt to make an arrest.
“The suspect attempted to spear the officers with a sharpened hockey stick and threw human feces at them,” said Savinkoff. “Officers deployed pepper spray and a taser, which were ineffective and the suspect barricaded himself in a bathroom.”
Savinkoff said the RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) attended to assist with the arrest.
He said ERT deployed CS gas, a potent tear gas that is used as a riot control agent, into the bathroom and the suspect surrendered with out further incident.
Savinkoff said Keenan Joseph Sziva, 29, a resident of Innisfail, has been charged with the following offences:
• assault;
• breach of release conditions; and
• four counts of assaulting a police officer with a weapon.
Sziva was held for a judicial interim release hearing where he was remanded into custody to appear on Aug. 27 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.