A man from Point Fortin has been charged with multiple offenses following a violent confrontation with police during an anti-crime patrol in Chatham. The incident occurred on Saturday evening, July 19th, around 7:00 p.m., when officers from the Point Fortin Police District were conducting an operation along the Southern Main Road. They noticed a man behaving suspiciously outside an abandoned house. As the police vehicle approached, the man began fidgeting with his pants pocket and used obscene language when the officers attempted to question him.
Upon informing the man that he was under arrest, he reacted aggressively, leading to a violent struggle with the officers. Reports indicate that he struck multiple officers, including a sergeant and two constables, and even managed to bend one officer’s thumb backward before fleeing the scene. The suspect, later identified as Samuel Noel, was apprehended after the altercation.
All parties involved were taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital for medical treatment. The injured officers were discharged after receiving care for various injuries. One officer suffered a displaced fracture to the base of his thumb, while another sustained soft tissue injuries and spinal spasms. A third officer had abrasions to his fingers, and the sergeant experienced tenderness in the thumb joint. The suspect, Samuel Noel, also had abrasions on both elbows from his escape attempt.
Charges against him include obscene language, resisting arrest, and assaulting multiple police officers. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
