 |
|
|
|
|
  
|
Woman held at knife point Police thankful tense Iqaluit incident ends without need for lethal forceTim Edwards Northern News Services Published Monday, Sept 17, 2012
"It isn't every day that we are able to come before you to speak about an incident that ended well. We're very grateful to be able to do that today," RCMP V division Supt. Hilton Smee said, opening up a press conference in Iqaluit on the day of the incident. Two police officers had been called to the scene to investigate a domestic incident at the city's 2200 block at 1:30 a.m., and arrived to hear a woman screaming. They forced entry to find a man holding several knives to a woman's neck, and refusing to put them down even when RCMP officers had drawn their weapons. "He was threatening to kill her and saying that he wanted the officers to kill him," Smee said. "Although the members had their service pistols drawn, one member noticed that the knives the suspect was holding (were) not as dangerous as they had initially thought; they appeared to be butter knives." Smee praised the split-second decision the officers made then they took down and disarmed the man with "hand strikes," which resulted in everyone escaping the scenario without serious injury. The victim is "doing well," Smee said, and the police have put her in touch with social services to assist her in coping with the situation, if she chooses to contact them. Adamee Mitsima, 31, has been charged with hostage-taking, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon, uttering death threats, resisting a police officer, and failing to comply with court conditions. Sgt. Kevin Lewis said Mitsima has a criminal record and is "well-known" to the RCMP. Smee said the RCMP is proud of the two officers who were at the scene. "Needless to say, in this type of situation, emotions and adrenaline run very high and decisions have to be made in split seconds," said Smee. "The two officers involved should be highly commended for this peaceful resolution of this call."
|
