At 4:30 p.m. an off duty Halifax Regional Police officer was in a retail outlet on Chain Lake Drive when he observed what he suspected to be an incident of shoplifting. As a result, the officer approached a youth who had just exited the store, showed his badge, identified himself as a police officer and asked him to return to the store. The youth did as asked. Upon further investigation inside the store the officer determined grounds existed to arrest the youth for theft and he did so. The youth became resistive at this point and a struggle ensued. At this point a second youth approached and assaulted the officer by punching him multiple times. Store staff intervened at this time to assist the officer and the youths were controlled and held in custody until arrival of on duty HRP Patrol members, who took both youths into custody.

As a result of investigation, the original youth arrested, 16-years-old, faces charges of causing a disturbance and resisting arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date. The youth who assaulted the officer (15-years-old) faces multiple charges, among them Uttering Threats and Aggravated Assault of a Police Officer. He will appear in Youth Court today. The off duty officer was transported to hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries and later released.

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Source: Media Release