TRURO - A Truro police officer needed nine staples to close a gash in his head after being struck by a baseball bat Wednesday night.
The officer was one of three who were assaulted at 34 Pattillo Ave. while trying to arrest a man wanted on an outstanding warrant.
"We very easily could have had a dead police officer last night," Chief David MacNeil told the Truro Daily News Thursday, "or the suspect could have been dead too."
Paul Jonathon Mitchell, 48, of 34 Patillo Ave., appeared Thursday in Truro provincial court charged with aggravated assault on a police officer from Wednesday's alleged incident. He is also charged with two counts of harrassment and one count of assault against two female citizens from between Dec. 26 and Jan. 15.
Mitchell is further charged with failing to attend court on Feb. 23, for which a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Police were attempting to execute that warrant when the alleged attack occurred.
He was remanded into custody, against his consent, to give the Crown time to compile information for his bail hearing on Monday.
Four police officers arrived at the Pattillo Avenue home around 9 p.m. Wednesday to execute a search warrant. They were let inside and told the man was downstairs.
Chief MacNeil said he was hiding and armed with a baseball bat.
"He struck one of the officers in the head with a baseball bat, caused him significant injury," MacNeil said. "(He) received a number of staples to close the gash in his head."
MacNeil said the man also struck two other officers before being "subdued" by a Taser.
The force's criminal investigation division investigated the incident and brought him into court Thursday afternoon.
"To me, police officers represent community safety and an attack on a police officer is an attack on community safety," the chief said.
"The officers know their job is dangerous and there is an inherent risk in our job, however, cowardly attacks like this, in my mind, are not acceptable. The court needs to take notice of this and start to become more serious when dealing with assaults on police officers."
Mayor Bill Mills, whose daughter is an RCMP officer, said their careers can change in a "nanosecond."
"This is a very sad incident," he said.
"I have utmost respect for the officers and how they conducted themselves and I am glad that it wasn't worse than what it turned out to be."
jmalloy@trurodaily.com
I would like to thank the Officers involved. I hope for a speedy recovery of the Officer injured, and my thoughts go to his family as well. We seldom know the type of calls Police respond to on a daily basis, which are never reported in the press. An Assult of this nature could have easily led to deadly consequenses to all involved. As representitives of Law and Order I agree with Chief McNeil's comment. Hats off to the professionalism shown by the officers involved. It will be interesting to see the outcome once it is before the Court System. completed