A man has been released on bail after allegations he assaulted four Vancouver courthouse staff following his arrest on a warrant for other charges.
George Sebastian Neufeld, 35, had been taken into custody at the 222 Main courthouse Nov. 20. He had arrived at the courthouse to vacate warrants but was taken into custody.
The events alleged to have happened in the cells area led to charges that Neufeld had assaulted one jail guard and three deputy sheriffs.
After those alleged incidents, Neufeld was put into the closed-in, secure prisoner’s dock in a courtroom. He was restrained into a wheelchair and had a mask over his head with a guard covering his mouth to prevent him from spitting at anyone.
There’s normally one deputy sheriff at a desk near the prisoner’s dock in Courtroom 101 to expedite prisoner appearances. In this instance, however, three deputies were inside the dock with Neufeld in addition to the single deputy.
Four charges of assaulting a peace officer in the execution of their duties were sworn the next day and he appeared before Judge Patrick Doherty in Vancouver’s Downtown Community Court.
Sources told Glacier Media the officers all had to go to hospital to be checked out.
A court information sworn June 30 alleged Neufeld uttered a threat to a man and others June 1 and had also committed mischief that same day.
His first appearance on those charges was June 30 and he remained in custody until July 23. He had twice refused to attend court while in custody, court records said.
A warrant was issued for Neufeld Nov. 19. He showed up the next day to deal with the warrant but was taken into custody.
The details of the bail hearing before Doherty are covered by a publication ban.
