Standoff suspects arrested
Men travel from Ontario for court hearing
Two men who were released on bail following a standoff with police outside a westside residence more than a year ago, are back in custody. Brian Tarbet Fulljames and Forrest Jensen were taken into custody Wednesday while attending a hearing in Lethbridge provincial court. The two accused, who moved to Ontario several months ago, returned to Lethbridge to deal with their charges and were shocked when they were arrested on outstanding warrants, of which they knew nothing.
Fulljames’ lawyer, Greg White, said afterward the arrest warrants are dated Nov. 21, 2017, and although their matters have been in court four times since then, the warrants were never mentioned until today.
“It’s upset them quite a bit for them to come here, all this way, to be arrested on a warrant that has been sitting there since November of last year and nobody had brought it up with their counsel.”
White said that if the two accused were a flight risk, they wouldn’t have returned to Alberta for their court hearing. “They want to deal with these charges.” He said the men have been arrested for failing to notify Lethbridge police that they moved to Ontario. But Fulljames insists he did notify police before they moved. Lethbridge police notified Ontario police of the alleged breach, and the accused were arrested, then released. Now, White points out, they’ve been arrested again, but on the same charge for which they were already released in Ontario.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” he said shortly after the men were taken into custody.
Fulljames, 29, and Jensen, 21, were set to stand trial in February 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 — but they had been unable to return from Ontario for the trial so it was cancelled. They were ordered to attend court April 6, but when they didn’t show up, the judge agreed to give them one more chance to attend court or warrants that were being held, would be released. They never showed up again, but were given another chance to attend court Wednesday.
The accused borrowed $1,100 from a friend so they could buy a bus ticket to Lethbridge, which included return fare to Ontario on Friday. Now they’re not sure if they’ll be able to return unless they’re released from custody.
The men are back in court today, where they will appear by closed-circuit TV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre for a bail hearing. The Crown, who is opposed to their release, also suggested he may seek revocation of the bail they were granted following the police standoff Feb. 10, 2017.
The two men were charged after an officer went to a residence in Dalhousie Court to arrest a man on outstanding warrants. Police reported a 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.
White subsequently told reporters police acted improperly because the officer entered the house without a warrant. White also claimed the officer lied when he said he had a warrant in his car.
White said Wednesday he hopes the matter can be resolved quickly, but other issues could cause more delays.
“When we talk about people who fall through the cracks, there is a big crack Mister Jensen and Mister Fulljames are falling through right now. “These guys do not belong in jail.”