A prisoner was assaulted while in custody at the Cross Lake RCMP Detachment early Sunday morning.
Police say a 21-year-old man was in a cell when his cellmate began assaulting him. An off-duty officer was summoned to attend the cell, while other officers were on a bogus homicide call.
22-year-old Dean Warren Pagee of Cross Lake First Nation was arrested and has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, uttering threats and two counts of breach of probation.
The victim was found unconscious and was transported to the local nursing station, but has since been transferred to the Health Sciences Centre. RCMP say he is in unstable critical condition.