VANCOUVER -- A 40-year-old Coquitlam man has turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest Wednesday.
The warrant was issued in connection to an incident in June in which he allegedly assaulted a police officer. Police say he was naked at the time.
Indeed, the man's nudity was the reason police were initially called to the scene on Lougheed Highway near the Pitt River just before midnight on June 18. Officers had received reports of a naked man walking on the roadway in Port Coquitlam, according to a news release from Coquitlam RCMP.
When police arrived at the scene, the naked man ran into the bushes. An officer followed him, told him he was under arrest and tried to get him a blanket, police said.
Police allege that instead of complying, the man punched the officer "without warning" and continued to assault him when he fell to the ground. Four other police officers joined in to complete the arrest, using two conducted energy weapons - better known as Tasers - on the man in the process, according to RCMP.
Police said four officers were injured during the incident, including one who sustained serious injuries.
As a result of the incident, Leandro Lamar Roth, of no fixed address, has now been charged with assaulting a police officer causing bodily harm. He turned himself in Thursday after learning about the warrant for his arrest, police said, adding that Roth is "very well-known" to them.
"When a 911 call comes in, police never know what we’re going to get," said Coquitlam RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Michael McLaughlin, in the release. "This file started fairly innocently, but the outcome was serious and it could have been even worse."
