Sober second thought for Leon and Louis

Two Bonfield men have been charged with assaulting an Ontario Provincial Police officer and a cadet following a drinking and driving complaint.

North Bay OPP responded to a complaint of a male driver, possibly intoxicated, in the town of Bonfield at approximately 8:40 p.m. Tues. May 11th, 2004.

Const. Ron Benoit and James Pigeau, a cadet, searched the town for a black four-door Plymouth Acclaim as a result of the complaint.

Shortly before 9:30 p.m., Benoit and Pigeau spotted the vehicle traveling north on Gagnon Street and pulling into a driveway just down the road.

The Plymouth was followed by a male driving a red Dodge pick-up truck, who also parked the vehicle in the driveway.

The Plymouth had a sober female driver and a male passenger. The male driver in the red pick-up was arrested for impaired driving.

During the arrest, the male in the red pick-up started to resist police and became assaultive, and the male from the Plymouth started to push Benoit and Pigeau while they were trying to arrest the driver of the pick-up.

Both males were arrested and transported to North Bay OPP. One of the officers received minimal injuries as a result of the arrest.

Leon Joseph Blais, 55, the driver of the Dodge pick-up, faces the following charges:

1) Impaired Driving, Section 253(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada;
2) Resist Peace Officer, Section 129(a)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada;
3) Failure to Provide a Breath Sample, Section 254(5) of the Criminal Code of Canada;
4) Assault a Peace Officer, Section 270(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada.

Louis Desgroseilliers, 55, the passenger in the Plymouth, faces the following charge:

1) Assault a Peace Officer, Section 270(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada;

Both men will be appearing in court at the Ontario Court of Justice at 360 Plouffe St., North Bay, Ontario, on Tuesday May 25th, 2004.