A man accused of trying to kidnap a woman in downtown Humboldt has been released on bail.
Lars Allen Olson, 27, of Naicam, charged with kidnapping, sexual assault and assault in connection with an incident in Humboldt on July 21, appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court on August 26 after undergoing a psychiatric assessment in North Battleford.
At that court appearance, Olson was released on bail and into the custody of family members. He was ordered to abide by certain conditions during his release, including that he reside in Alberta, and that he is to have no contact with the victim in this case.
His next court appearance is set for September 19 in Humboldt Provincial Court.
Olson's charges stem from an incident on July 21, when it was reported a man was trying to forcibly remove a female from a downtown store.
At 5: 10 p.m. on July 21, members of the Humboldt RCMP received a call from the employee of a retail store on Main St. in Humboldt. The employee reported that a man was trying to take a woman from the store; that the man was grabbing her around the waist, trying to pull her out the door. The woman was allegedly fighting and trying to break away from the man's grasp.
Just two to three minutes later, officers arrived at the scene, where they indicated that the man had the woman around the waist and was yanking and heaving, trying to get her out of the store.
Police say they approached the man, told him he was under arrest, and ordered him to release the woman. When the man did not, they claim, the members physically intervened. The man was sprayed with pepper spray, and after a struggle, he was taken into custody.
What makes the incident a bizarre one is that it occurred in broad daylight, in the middle of the business day, and that the man was completely unknown to the 36-year-old female victim. She had never met or seen Olson before this incident, an RCMP news release notes.
The woman suffered minor injuries during the incident.
