Mark McDiarmid, who was shot by RCMP outside Dawson City last week, is facing numerous criminal charges in Yukon territorial court.
From incidents with the police on October 19 and 20, McDiarmid is accused of damaging a police car, three counts of assaulting a police officer, one count of possessing a dangerous weapon, two counts of assaulting an officer with a weapon and two counts of attempted murder of a police officer.
According to the 32-year-old’s court file, the RCMP in Dawson City were well acquainted with McDiarmid.
From incidents in March, the Dawsonite had numerous other charges on his record including dangerous driving while trying to cause a head-on collision with a police car, resisting arrest and two counts of assaulting Constables Jeff Nielsen and David Marentette.
These are the same officers McDiarmid is accused of assaulting
and attempting to murder on October 20.
McDiarmid appeared in court Wednesday by telephone from his bed at Whitehorse General Hospital.
McDiarmid was shot at least twice when “the officers feared for their safety,” after pulling him over last Thursday.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been called in to investigate the case.
They found a large axe, or splitting maul, at the scene.
After meeting with the incident response team over the weekend, McDiarmid’s First Nation, the Tr’ondek Hwech’in, and the Council of Yukon First Nations are working to ensure a Yukon First Nation person is appointed as an observer to the investigation, according to a release from the Dawson City-based aboriginal government, on Wednesday.
McDiarmid’s next appearance in court is scheduled for November 2. (Roxanne Stasyszyn)