Psych evaluation ordered for man accused of attacking bank patron with syringe

A provincial court judge has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Brandon Lee Bluecloud to determine his mental fitness and whether he is criminally responsible for his recent actions.

During a recent sitting of Moose Jaw Provincial Court, Judge Brian Hendrickson ordered that Bluecloud, 29, be sent to the Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford for the assessment. He based his decision on section 672.11 of the Criminal Code, which gives him the power to make such an order.

The assessment usually takes 30 days, so the judge set Bluecloud’s next court appearance to Tuesday, Nov. 7. 

There are certain comments in the bail supervision report that Bluecloud made that are concerning because they are inconsistent with what happened during the incident, said Crown prosecutor Rob Parker. Further, the accused makes assertions that speak to his current mental state; therefore, the Crown supported the assessment.

According to previously released information, police charged Bluecloud with assault with a weapon after an attack downtown on Oct. 3. 

At roughly 9:11 a.m., officers responded to a report of a suspicious occurrence at TD Bank. Once on the scene, officers learned that Bluecloud had approached a customer from behind, stabbed that person multiple times in the lower back region with a syringe, and then fled the scene. 

With the help of the business’s security camera, which police obtained following the incident, they confirmed that the weapon in question was a syringe and that Bluecloud was holding it. 

Bluecloud and the victim are unknown to one another, and the attack appears to be random. 

Officers located and arrested Bluecloud without incident a short time after the attack. He later made his first court appearance.

Anyone with further information should contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or the Moose Jaw Police Service at 306-694-7600.

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