CORNWALL – A man who fought a Cornwall police officer in December, grabbed his taser and fired it, will be spending close to seven more months in jail.
Michael McEwan, 45, was sentenced Wednesday (Aug. 7) by Judge Deborah Kinsella. He’s been in custody since his arrest almost eight months ago.
McEwan was found guilty of assault with intent to disarm a police officer, assaulting an officer while resisting arrest, assault with a weapon and mischief for damaging the officer’s holster. Charges of breach of probation and deploying a taser were withdrawn by Crown attorney Andre White.
In two unrelated matters, McEwan was given a suspended sentence for mischief for damaging a door and a 90 day concurrent jail sentence for failing to report to the probation office, court records show.
McEwen had grabbed then-Const. Scott Bonneville’s taser (he’s since been promoted to an acting sergeant) during a fight near Adolphus Street and Water Street on Dec. 27, 2018. Bonneville had tried to arrest McEwan, who was near his home at the time, because he was wanted for mischief and breach of probation.
At that time, Const. Dan Cloutier told Cornwall Newswatch, Bonneville wasn’t hit by the taser barbs but he did get bitten several times during the fight.
McEwan will likely serve his sentence at the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Center in Brockville, which deals with offenders diagnosed with serious mental illness.
After he serves his sentence, McEwan will be on probation for three years.