A Halifax Regional Police officer was injured in a man's escape attempt at the Halifax provincial courthouse on Thursday.
A Chronicle Herald reporter was in Court 1 at the Spring Garden Road building for a sentencing hearing in another case at about 10:50 a.m., when loud sounds of a scuffle and shouting could be heard through the door to the central staircase of the courthouse proper.
The presiding judge in the intake court, Gregory Lenehan, called a recess while the incident was handled and sheriffs locked the door allowing access to the staircase.
It was about 20 minutes before those in Court 1 were asked to leave the room via a back staircase and asked to move into a waiting area. EMTs could be seen working on someone on the central staircase and there was a large police presence.
Onlookers were asked to leave the area while the person was being treated and taken out to a waiting ambulance.
All six courtrooms in the building, which handles a multitude of legal matters, were closed for the rest of the morning. Police did not reopen the building until just after 1 p.m.
HRP sent out a news release at about that time indicating that a man was arrested for escaping lawful custody at the courthouse and that the officer was injured during the attempt.
"A man who had just been sentenced to a jail term assaulted an HRP officer as he was fleeing the courthouse," the news release said. "The officer was attending a scheduled court appearance on an unrelated matter. The man was quickly taken into custody following a brief struggle with responding officers and sheriffs."
The release said the officer has served with HRP for three years. He was transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Bystanders at the time of the incident said the injuries might have included a broken wrist, although that was not confirmed by authorities as of early Thursday afternoon.
HRP said charges are expected.
