Erika Sherk
Northern News Services
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - RCMP have identified the man shown in a composite sketch released in the Feb. 9 edition of Yellowknifer.

They were looking for him in connection to a beating that left a 35-year-old man bleeding from the mouth and ears on a downtown Yellowknife sidewalk on Jan 27.

"No charges have been laid at this time," said Sgt. Andy Ing of Yellowknife RCMP, who then added, "we're not searching out any other individuals."

The man went to the detachment voluntarily Feb. 15th, six days after the sketch was published.

"He found out recently that we were looking for him," said Ing, "and he made the assumption that that was him in the sketch."

RCMP also received 12 tip calls after the sketch was released, said Ing, but it was ultimately the man's arrival that ended the search for him.

Ing would not say if the man could be classified as a suspect. However, he is still a person of interest to RCMP for the case, according to Ing.

"We've interviewed him," said Ing. "We're determining his role in the overall event."

It is difficult to piece together all facts, he said, as the victim is still comatose in Edmonton hospital.

They hope that further interviewing will shed more light on the events of the night of Jan. 26 and early morning Jan. 27.

"We have yet to determine that a criminal event has taken place," he said. "Speaking with him is going to assist in determining that."

RCMP put out the sketch to identify a man who had been involved with the victim in an "altercation" on the White Fox bar dance floor earlier the night of Jan. 26.

The victim and the man in the sketch had not come into actual contact at the White Fox, according to Const. Roxanne Dreilich of the Yellowknife detachment.

Others prevented the two men from fighting by holding them back as they swore and called each other names, she said.

"Bouncers observed it," said Dreilich, "and felt that these two weren't going to cease and desist inside the bar so they did escort them out."

The victim was found a half-hour after the two were ejected from the bar, around 2 a.m., she said. RCMP had been looking for the other man ever since.

The victim was medivaced to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, due to the severity of his head injuries, said Dreilich..

The victim's name has not been released by RCMP, on the wishes of his family.