A 15-year-old girl has been charged with attempted murder in the stabbing of a Halifax Regional Police officer.
The girl and a 15-year-old boy were both arrested and subsequently charged in an incident that led to a heavy police presence Tuesday morning near the Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax.
READ MORE: Halifax police officer stabbed by suspect in vehicle theft
Police say the incident began when an officer located a stolen truck on Highway 102 at School Avenue at 5:49 a.m. An officer approached two suspects on a trail near the golf course at Joseph Howe Drive and when he tried to arrest them, one of the suspects stabbed him.
The officer, identified as Const. Andrew Gordon, was taken to the QEII emergency department and underwent surgery. He was reported to be in stable condition on Tuesday and a spokesperson said he was resting and recovering in hospital as of Wednesday.
Four knives were recovered as part of the investigation, and the vehicle that sparked the incident was seized.
The two youths, both from Truro, were arrested shortly after the stabbing and charged overnight.
Some of the charges were committed in the Truro area, while the others are related to the Halifax incident.
Police spokesperson Const. Carol McIsaac said the girl was initially hospitalized but that the teen’s injuries are not life-threatening and that “her injuries were not as a result of the arrest or any police action.”
Teens appear in court
Both teens, whose identities are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act appeared in youth court in Halifax on Wednesday.
The girl faces charges of attempted murder, possession of a weapon, resisting arrest, two counts of theft under $5,000, break and enter, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen vehicle dangerous driving and mischief over $5,000.
“The Crown has advised he will be seeking an adult sentence on the attempted murder if there is a conviction,” said Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service spokesperson Chris Hansen in an email.
The girl is scheduled to return to court on May 14 for a bail hearing.
Meanwhile, the boy is charged with two counts of theft under $5,000, break and enter, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, possession of a weapon and joy riding.
He is scheduled back to court on May 11 for a bail hearing.
Const. Gordon known as the ‘Animal Whisperer’
Const. Gordon is well known in Halifax.
In 2016, he was lauded on social media by HRP for a string of animal rescues, including a seal pup, some ducklings and a dog. It earned him the nickname ‘Animal Whisperer.’