THUNDER BAY - Connie Whittaker and Josh Rioux were driving toward Kakabeka Falls when they saw a man point his rifle at a police officer.
“We come over the top of the hill from Thunder Bay heading towards Kakabeka and there was a Thunder Bay Police Service cruiser parked at the kind of sort of the end of this driveway, and he was just getting out of his cruiser,” Whittaker told Dougall Media.
“There was a man standing in the driveway and he was in full body camo and he had a rifle aimed at the police officer.
The Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) responded to a call for service near Pebblestone Road and Highway 11/17 on the afternoon of Thurs., Dec. 26.
“We went over the top of the hill and carried on. I took my seat belt off and I was looking behind me to see what was happening, and the police officer jumped back in the cruiser,” said Whittaker.
She noted that she saw the police cruiser pull onto the opposite side of the road.
“He just waited for backup basically and by the time we went another two kilometres, there were cruisers coming,” Whittaker said.
According to TBPS, the man was transported to the hospital.
It was later confirmed by Ontario's Special Investigations Unit he was seriously injured.
Court documents obtained by Newswatch have confirmed Daniel Paul Smith, 58, was charged with attempted murder, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm contrary to an order.
As for Whittaker and Rioux, they arrived safely home before the police shut down the highway.
“It's kind of freaky. I mean, I didn't know what to think. That's not something you see every day. It was kind of disturbing and I didn't want to hang out in case I caught a stray bullet,” Rioux said.
