Nova Scotia

Police arrest 2 teens after officer stabbed in west-end Halifax

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Officer in stable condition in hospital following surgery

Members of Halifax Regional Police had their weapons drawn Tuesday morning during a search. (Paul Palmeter/CBC)

A Halifax Regional Police officer is recovering in hospital following surgery after police say he was stabbed early Tuesday morning when he approached two teens about a stolen truck in the city's west end.

Police subsequently arrested a boy and girl, both 15, and charges are anticipated.

Police identified the injured officer as Const. Andrew Gordon.

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"This incident is a reminder of the inherent dangers of policing," Insp. Andrew Matthews told reporters at a news conference.

He would not give details about the nature of Gordon's injuries or where on his body he was stabbed, but said the officer has been with the force for eight years.

Police said Gordon found the truck on Highway 102 near School Avenue shortly before 6 a.m. Two people fled, and the officer found them near Ashburn Golf Club on a trail just off Joseph Howe Drive.

The officer was stabbed when he tried to speak with the pair, according to police. Matthews confirmed police have recovered a vehicle and four knives.

Police blocked off part of a walking trail near Joseph Howe Drive on Tuesday morning as part of an investigation. (Craig Paisley/CBC)

The investigation saw a heavy police presence spread across part of the city's west end.

Other officers and a police dog tracked down the girl, and the boy was found nearby and arrested. Matthews said no other arrests are expected.

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"We have everyone we're looking for at this time."

Halifax police cars line a walking path near Joseph Howe Drive in Halifax. (Pat Callaghan/CBC)

The investigation snarled traffic coming onto the Halifax peninsula Tuesday morning and shut down a popular walking trail just off Joseph Howe Drive. Police officers could be seen on the trail with guns drawn shortly after 6 a.m.

Evidence markers sit along a walking trail in Halifax, just off Joseph Howe Drive. (Craig Paisley/CBC)

Police vehicles lined the busy road that's often backed up with traffic coming into the city each morning. Those backups were even bigger Tuesday, as traffic stretched along Joseph Howe Drive and up Highway 102. Matthews said the level of response was reflective of the situation.

"If they're willing to stab an officer, they may be willing to do something to someone else who would intervene."

Members of Halifax Regional Police at an investigation near the Ashburn Golf Club in west-end Halifax. Police have been in the area since early Tuesday morning. (Craig Paisley/CBC)

While the events played out early in the morning, it wasn't until about 10 a.m. police provided full information about what was happening. Matthews said the police work hard to get information to the public as quickly as they can. He noted the arrests were made quickly after the officer was stabbed.

Matthews said the last time an officer was wounded in the line of duty was in 2013, which was also a stabbing.

"It's not very common … but we feel it in the fabric of the organization and it brings us closer together."