Butter-knife attacker to undergo psychiatric evaluation: Nunavut court

Adamie Mitsima, 32, who pleaded guilty Feb. 28 to guilty to charges of assault with a weapon, uttering death threats, breach of probation and breach of an undertaking, will undergo a psychiatric assessment before being sentenced, the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit determined March 5.

Mitsima was charged in connection with an incident that took place last September.

On Sept. 12, 2012 two members of the RCMP responded to a possible domestic assault in the 2200 block of Iqaluit.

They walked into the home at 1:30 a.m. where they saw Mitsima holding several knives to his girlfriend’s throat, the RCMP said.

Mitsima was threatening to kill the woman, and screaming that he wanted police officers to kill him too.

After briefly trying to negotiate with Mitsima and drawing their pistols, the police officers realized the knives in the man’s hands were butter knives, and not as lethal as they originally thought.

Using physical force and hand strikes, the officers managed to take Mitsima down in what police described as an “intense” scuffle.

Mitsima was taken to hospital later that morning for injuries he sustained in the struggle.

Both Mitsima and the woman were “heavily” intoxicated at the time, police said.

Mitsima will remain in custody until his sentencing hearing now scheduled for April 10.