Saskatoon police officer injured during struggle after traffic stop

A Saskatoon police officer was injured while pulling what police called a “confrontational” man out of his vehicle Wednesday afternoon.

According to police, the incident started when an officer with the Traffic Unit spotted a driver on Circle Drive who allegedly wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and flicked a cigarette onto the road. That led to a traffic stop, and police said the driver “immediately became confrontational.”

Police said the officer spotted unstamped tobacco products on the seat next to the driver, who allegedly refused to hand them over.

“The driver then refused to provide the illegal tobacco products to the officer and instead attempted to hide them,” police said in a statement.

“As the officer attempted to remove the driver from the vehicle, a physical struggle ensued resulting in minor injuries to the officer. The driver was arrested with the assistance of additional officers a short time later.”

The 36-year-old driver has been charged with obstructing a police officer, and received tickets for failing to wear a seatbelt, disposing of waste in an improper manner, and possession of unstamped tobacco products without proof of paid tax.