(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Knife-wielding suspect receives 90 days jail, claims he needed weapon for protection

Oct 4, 2022 | 1:36 PM

A man who was on court ordered conditions not to leave the Northwest Territories (NWT), has received a 90-day jail sentence for an incident in Prince Albert described by a judge as troubling.

Sammy Dumbuya, 26, appeared by video for his sentence hearing Tuesday morning at provincial court. He entered guilty pleas related to carrying a concealed weapon, and resisting arrest.

The incident dates back to the afternoon of Aug. 14, when police received a call that someone with a knife was spotted near the Superstore entrance.

Dumbuya, who matched the description provided by witnesses, was soon after located by officers and told to stop, but instead fled on a bike. The brief pursuit ended in the area near Save On Foods. Upon arrest, police found a large hunting knife in Dumbuya’s waistband and he also had a can of bear spray in his backpack.

Defence lawyer Estelle Hjertaas explained Dumbuya indicated to her he was carrying the weapons for protection as he was alone in Prince Albert with no support.

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He also explained the reason he fled from police was because of stories he heard related to dealings Black people had with police, but also clarified those stories were not specific to Prince Albert.

Hjertaas also noted in her submissions the reason Dumbuya was in Prince Albert was because his spouse and children live here, and he was unable to notify his probation officer in the NWT where he went.

When given the opportunity to speak, Dumbuya said he was sorry and said it was never his intention to scare anyone.

Judge Schiefner described the incident as troubling, noting the people at Superstore were scared enough to call police.

The Crown was seeking a sentence of six months jail, but after hearing the facts of the case, and Dumbuya’s apology, Judge Schiefer felt a 90-day sentence was more appropriate.

With credit for time spent in remand, he has roughly three days left to serve on his sentence but will remain on remand on other matters. In March, he will face trial for drug trafficking charges that date back to 2020 from the NWT.

In addition to the knife incident in Prince Albert, Dumbuya also entered a guilty plea for a driving while impaired offence that took place in Saskatoon in early 2021.

The vehicle driven by Dumbuya was found on top of a snowdrift. While Dumbuya showed no visible signs of intoxication and was very cooperative with police, he later provided a blood alcohol reading of .220, which is nearly three times over the legal limit.

For this conviction, Dumbuya received a $2,000 fine and upon his eventual release from custody, will be prohibited from driving for one year.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell