Class has resumed for students and staff at Immaculate Conception School in North Delta after a stabbing earlier this week that sent two people to hospital in critical condition.
A woman and an off-duty Delta police officer were stabbed multiple times on Wednesday, Feb. 20, after the officer, Acting-Sergeant John Jasmins, witnessed a man allegedly assaulting a woman outside of the school and intervened.
Jasmins, who was off-duty and unarmed at the time, was stabbed several times in the abdomen and he and the woman woman were rushed to hospital in critical condition. Their status has since improved, with Jasmins listed as stable and the woman in serious condition.
“Investigators believe that if John hadn’t acted so quickly, the woman involved in this incident could have lost her life. He is a hero,” Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord said in press release Thursday afternoon.
Parents at the school waited anxiously — some inside the school, others behind a line of police tape — while police and school officials made sure all the children were safe and accounted for. No children were injured in the incident.
Manoj George, 49, of Delta is facing two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of assault with a weapon stemming from the incident.
READ MORE: Delta man charged in stabbing of woman, off-duty cop outside North Delta elementary school
On Wednesday, the school was closed as staff met with DPD Victim Services and prepared to support students as they cope with the trauma of what happened.
Principal Maurice Jacob told the Reporter Friday morning that staff and students are coping well so far.
| Caber, a yellow retriever, was Canada's first accredited facility dog and joined the Delta Police Department in 2010. He is spending the day at Immaculate Conception School to help students and staff cope with the stabbing that took place outside the school on Wednesday, Feb. 20. |
“So we gathered this morning, we went over to the church to pray for all the people involved and all the people who have been impacted, and thanksgiving for all the people who helped us, the police and everybody. So far, the day is progressing really smoothly.”
Kim Gramlich, victim services coordinator for the Delta Police Department, said in an email to that Caber, the DPD’s accredited facility dog, and his canine colleague, Roo, from Sophie’s Place Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, are providing the children at Immaculate Conception with comfort, reassurance and a healthy distraction to the week’s events.
“The children are responding very favourably to the dogs with the result being many smiles and lots of questions and laughter. Accredited facility dogs are specifically trained and chosen for this work due to their calming, low energy and high resilience.”
Jacob extended his thanks to all the people and agencies involved, both in keeping students safe during the event and supporting the children and school staff afterward.
“We owe a huge debt of thanks to the Delta police, to the Catholic School Board, and Victim Services for all the support that was offered. The amount of levels of support that were mobilized and offered to the school was amazing,” he said. “We’re doing well with the supports we have in place, kids are getting the … individual support that they need as it comes up or as they’re referred by parents. So I think we’re getting through it in a very healthy way.”
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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