A family from Bridgewater, N.S., says they had a close encounter with the man accused of trying to kill a police officer just hours before his arrest.
Margaret and Greg Bolivar say that Saturday evening, they were in the back of their house behind the fire pit when they heard a loud crash.
When they went to see what was going on, they discovered a truck trying to ram through the gate at the truck repair shop next door.
“He backed up into the driveway behind us, and I saw him come full throttle with the truck,” said Margaret.
“At this point, my adrenaline had just gone through the roof, and I knew I had to call 911.”
Margaret suspected the man driving the truck was Tobias Charles Doucette, who at the time was on run for five days after allegedly stabbing a police officer in the neck and running.
Police had been working tirelessly to find Doucette with no success. A warrant was out for his arrest on charges including assault and attempted murder.
Over a dozen police cruisers arrived at the truck repair shop within minutes, Margaret said.
“I saw Doucette get out of the truck, he parked it in between two trailers, saw him get out of the truck and walk towards Saunders Motors,” she said.
“He was wearing a red and white ball cap, a navy sweatshirt … and dark bottom shorts.”
Within five hours of Margaret calling police, Doucette was arrested in the nearby community of Hebbville.
Doucette made a brief court appearance Monday morning via video link. He faces the following charges:
- attempted murder
- aggravated assault
- assault with a weapon
- assault
- injuring a law enforcement animal
- two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
- mischief under $5,000
- theft of a motor vehicle
The 31-year-old was remanded into custody and is scheduled to have his case return to court on Thursday.
On Monday, Bridgewater Police Services Sgt. Danny MacPhee said Sgt. Matt Bennett — the officer who was stabbed in the neck last week — is still recovering.
“His spirits are up,” said Sgt. MacPhee. “Now that the search… was safely concluded, this will help in his recovery.
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“We’re a small community, we’re a small town, we’re a small service, and he feared, of course, that one of us would get injured making that next arrest.”
For the Bolivars, they hope Doucette’s arrest will bring some form of comfort to the town of Bridgewater.
“(We’re) just glad that it’s been brought to justice,” said Margaret. “(Doucette) does have mother, he does have family, I’m sure that they were happy that he was found and alive and not in a different state.”
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