ATHABASCA – A local man is awaiting his sentencing after pleading guilty to assaulting a police officer during an early December arrest.
Michael Keeping pleaded guilty to assault on a peace officer and criminal mischief as part of a joint submission between the Crown and his defence counsel. Additional charges for ABC were withdrawn as part of his plea.
Keeping, who was set to go on trial at the Athabasca Court of Justice Feb. 3, will instead spend the next three months awaiting his sentence while the court prepares a Gladue report — a type of pre-sentencing report that looks at the potential impacts and challenges an Indigenous person has experienced in their life.
“There’s going to be people getting in touch with you and asking you questions about your past and your upbringing,” said Justice Vaughn Myers.
“I’m going to ask that you kindly accommodate them any way you can, it’s only going to be to your benefit.”
On Dec. 1, 2023, Keeping was at the Ramada Hotel in Grassland, where he struck up a conversation with a hotel patron. He later grabbed the patron by the collar, punching them in the face. The man was left with a laceration over his left eye and required treatment at a hospital.
Following his arrest and while in the cells at the Boyle RCMP detachment, an intoxicated Keeping started to urinate in the cell. He then tampered with the sprinkler system, causing it to turn on and flood the room.
While being forcibly moved to another cell, Keeping struck an officer in the face with his fist. In his new cell, Keeping defecated in the cell, pushing some under the doorway and smearing it over the security camera. After, he attempted to strangle himself with his own underwear.
Keeping’s defence counsel Julie Grivel said he had memory issues relating to the events, but wasn’t contesting the Crown’s account. He’s due back in court June 30 for his sentencing.
