A 35-year-old from Dauphin faces numerous, serious charges after an assault and a police chase involving a police service dog in Dauphin on Tuesday night.
According to RCMP, they were called to a house on the 100-block of 1st Avenue Southwest in Dauphin for a report of a break and enter. When they got there, they learned a male suspect had smashed multiple windows, broke into the residence and assaulted a 24-year-old male inside the home before fleeing.
About 25 minutes later, police said they found the suspect and he fled again after being told he was under arrest. RCMP Police Dog Services were called to the location, near the intersection of 3rd Street Southwest and 4th Avenue Southwest.
From there, RCMP allege the suspect was found hiding in hedges and turned towards an officer with a metal edged weapon. Marook, a police service dog, was deployed and apprehended him.
The suspect was arrested and searched, and officers seized a blade from a lawnmower. The suspect was taken to hospital for treatment of multiple dog bites, then taken into custody. Marook was uninjured.
Sidney Nepinak, 35, of Dauphin is charged with assault causing bodily harm, break and enter, assaulting a police officer with a weapon, resisting arrest, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, mischief over $5,000, and failure to comply with a release order condition. None of the charges against him have been tested in court and he is presumed innocent.
