A Canadian man facing an attempted murder charge in connection with the Sunday stabbing of another man has been one of the most combative inmates Clay County Sheriff Bill Bergquist has ever seen.
Harmit Bhangu was taken to a local hospital Monday morning after banging his head against his Clay County Jail cell wall, Bergquist said. The
32-year-old spent about five hours at the hospital before returning to the jail, where he is being kept in a cell secluded from the rest of the jail population, Bergquist said.
Bhangu has been combative since his Sunday afternoon arrest in connection with the stabbing of 51-year-old Dale Morigeau of Ronan, Mont., at a Moorhead Interstate 94 rest stop. Morigeau underwent surgery Sunday for multiple stab wounds and was listed in critical condition Monday, an Innovis Health spokeswoman said.
Following his arrest, Bhangu attacked a Moorhead police detective interviewing him about the incident, Moorhead Lt. Tory Jacobson said. Bhangu unexpectedly struck the detective in the head with a cast that had been put on his hand hours earlier, Jacobson said. The injured detective was treated and released and is back on duty. Bhangu, of Chestermere, Alberta, Canada, continued to be violent and uncooperative and had to be subdued with a Taser, Jacobson said.
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Bergquist said he couldn't speak to how severe Bhangu's injuries are because Bhangu has repeatedly ripped off bandages to his right hand. Charges have not yet been filed in the case, but authorities are seeking attempted murder and assault charges, Jacobson said. On Sunday, police responded to the rest area, about a half-mile east of Moorhead, at 1:37 p.m. after receiving a report of a stabbing in progress. Police arriving at the scene discovered the attack still in progress, according to police.
Officers ordered Bhangu to surrender, and while he did drop his knife, he had to be subdued with a Taser, according to a news release issued Sunday.
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Brittany Lawonn at (701) 241-5541
