Two men charged in standoff stuck in Ontario

The two men accused of assaulting a police officer during a standoff outside a westside residence in February of last year are stuck in Ontario and were unable to attend court for trial this week.

Brian Fulljames and Forrest Jensen were scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday on charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting a police officer. Fulljames also faces two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.

Greg White, Fulljames’ lawyer, told the court the two men have moved to Ontario, and that while they made an application to Ontario Works to cover the cost of travel back to Lethbridge, that application had been rejected. The men are able to appeal the decision but not before Tuesday’s trial date.

Further, Jensen is without representation after going through two lawyers and Legal Aid refusing to help retain a third one.

The judge issued warrants for both Fulljames and Jensen, but those warrants are to be held until April 6 to allow the pair an opportunity to return to Lethbridge.

Fulljames, 28, and Jensen, 20, were charged following a standoff Feb. 10, 2017, which occurred after an officer went to a home in Dalhousie Court to arrest a man on outstanding warrants.

According to police, the suspect was being placed under arrest when he began struggling with the officer.

The officer drew his firearm when another man in the home grabbed a knife and moved toward the officer. The man slid several knives across the floor to his friend, who said he was going to get a gun and ran into another room.

The officer left the residence and

waited for backup. Police cordoned off the area and, after four hours, took the men into custody.

But on Tuesday, White told collected media that police were out of line when they entered the home and assaulted his client.

“The reason we’re fighting this is because a police officer came into the house without a warrant to enter that house,” he said.

Further, White claims the officer lied to Jensen and Fulljames by telling them he had a warrant in his car when they demanded to see one.

“He came in the house and tackled my client,” he said. –With files from Delon Shurtz Follow @JWSchnarrHerald on Twitter