A Trail man was found guilty on all three charges of assault on a police officer at a Castlegar court on Monday, Aug. 15.
Sheldon Matteucci was charged with assaulting a police officer with a weapon, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and resisting/obstructing a police officer.
Matteucci, 41, will be sentenced on Sept. 15 and will remain in custody until that time.
“Trail RCMP is satisfied with the guilty verdict against Mr. Matteucci,” said Trail RCMP Sgt. Mike Wicentowich. “The two officers who responded to this incident received high praise from the witnesses for their professionalism when arresting Mr. Matteucci.
“Both officers demonstrated courage and tenacity when maintain public safety in the most challenging of circumstances. One of our officers continues to recover from the incident. Trail RCMP supports him and his family and look forward to his return to work. I would like to thank all of our hardworking Trail RCMP officers who continue to make a huge difference in their community every day.”
Brandishing two knives, Matteucci attacked two police officers on Oct. 9, 2021 after police responded to a complaint of a disturbance at the 2000 block of Daniel Street in Trail.
Matteucci had two outstanding unendorsed warrants for his arrest, and when an officer arrived, the man immediately became aggressive and walked toward him with two large knives.
Matteucci refused to drop the knives or comply with the direction provided by the officer. The officer successfully deployed his taser and temporarily disabled him.
The officer took the opportunity to remove both knives from the suspect’s hands while a second officer arrived on scene to assist. Matteucci was secured by the two officers after a lengthy and violent struggle given by the man. The officers lodged Matteucci into the cellblock at the Trail detachment.
Both Trail RCMP officers received injuries during the violent incident. One of the officers was treated at hospital for a serious cut to his hand and was forced to take time off.
“This was a very serious incident which the two officers successfully resolved,” said Wicentowich. “They demonstrated their bravery and dedication to keeping Trail safe with quick action and thinking.”