Trial hears machete-wielding suspect was Tased after jumping out window

The first team from Prince Albert arrived around 3 p.m. and the second team from Regina arrived around 6 p.m. Henderson, who was initially wanted for breach of probation, would be arrested roughly three hours later after jumping out a side window.

Sgt. Tyler Smith was the acting team leader at the time and testified on Wednesday that when crisis negotiations appeared to be going nowhere, cannisters that deploy a sort of gas like substance were tossed into the house through the back and side windows.

He explained this was done essentially help move the suspect out of the house to be arrested.

During this time as well, an armored vehicle that was parked outside the front of the house, deployed a sort of hydraulic arm to tear away a portion of the front wall.

And on two separate occasions, when officers caught a glimpse of Henderson, they shot him with a non-lethal sponge like object. Henderson, believed to have been intoxicated, was observed moving throughout the house carrying a machete.

“He hacked a door at one point,” Smith recalled.

When Henderson was called by police, he picked up the phone but soon hung up again.

After the second set of gas cannisters were tossed into the house, Henderson jumped out a side window. According to Smith, he landed on the ground, and while facing officers was standing in an aggressive position and holding a machete in his right hand and a can of bear spray in his left hand.

When Henderson attempted to run, he was Tased and dropped immediately to the ground. This provided officers with a five-second window to disarm him and Sgt. Smith was the one to pry the machete from Henderson’s fingers.

After the weapon was secured, Smith then stepped back and it took three officers to complete the job of handcuffing Henderson.

“I could see there was a wrestling match going on,” Smith testified.

It was during this struggle with police, that Henderson suffered a head injury and was observed having a bloody face when being moved to a police vehicle. Defence lawyer Patrick McDougall inquired if Smith saw Henderson getting hit with a butt end of a gun.

Smith replied he had not, but before being interrupted by McDougall, said he was told Henderson reached for an officer’s gun during the struggle.

Following the arrest, Smith was among the officers to enter the house and make sure there was no one else inside. When asked by McDougall if he or any others saw the alleged firearm that prompted the emergency team response, Smith said no.

One of the officers who testified on Monday claimed he heard another say they were hit in the hand with a machete. Sgt. Smith was also questioned by McDougall if he or any officers he knew were struck with a machete.

“Not from my perspective,” he replied.

The Crown has at least one more witness on Thursday and it’s unclear if the defence will call anyone.

—

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Trial hears machete-wielding suspect was Tased after jumping out window

What's Trending