Rhonda Comeau says she was trying to protect the servers at Empire Coffee in Nelsonsa国际传媒檚 Adventure Hotel when she confronted a man shouting about mask-wearing on Nov. 20.

She said the man, since identified by police as Jeremy Undershute, was wearing a mask but loudly and profanely yelling about the requirement to wear one, calling the servers and customers sa国际传媒渟heep.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭hese girls are young,sa国际传媒� Comeau said. sa国际传媒淭hey have never been put in a situation like this before. They were scared. And he thought that was OK. And when he tried it with me, it was like, yeah, yousa国际传媒檙e not dealing with a 16 year old now.sa国际传媒�

Comeau, who is the financial controller for the hotel, told him they wouldnsa国际传媒檛 serve him because he was bullying the staff. She told Undershute to leave and he refused.

sa国际传媒淚 said, sa国际传媒榃ell, yousa国际传媒檙e either leaving on your own, or yousa国际传媒檙e leaving by police escort, I really donsa国际传媒檛 care which.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

Undershute then allegedly spat on her before leaving. Comeau followed him until the police apprehended him two blocks away.

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Staff Sgt. Brian Weber of the Nelson City Police says the police have asked the Crown for an assault charge as well as a charge of abusive and belligerent behaviour under the COVID-19 Related Measures Act, but the Crown has not yet approved these charges.

Undershute is already scheduled for a Jan. 19 court appearance for charges of assault, resisting arrest, and causing a disturbance following a similar incident in a different location in downtown Nelson in August.

After the incident at Empire Coffee, Comeausa国际传媒檚 first concern was to clean herself up.

sa国际传媒淲hen I got into the bathroom, thatsa国际传媒檚 when it kind of hit me what happened,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淎nd thatsa国际传媒檚 when I started getting really ticked off. I was looking forward to see my grandkids, and this guy just spit on me. I didnsa国际传媒檛 know if hesa国际传媒檚 got something. This could ruin Christmas.sa国际传媒�

Then she walked two blocks on an errand and on her way back had to stop and rest because of chest pain and shortness of breath.

sa国际传媒淚 slowly made my way back to the hotel. I got to the back parking lot and the pain started getting worse. I sat down on the bench. And I thought, you know, this isnsa国际传媒檛 a good place to be outside by myself. Somethingsa国际传媒檚 wrong. I walked into [hotel manager Rob Littlesa国际传媒檚] office and he was on his phone. And I just said, sa国际传媒楻ob, call 911.sa国际传媒� I knew I was having a heart attack.sa国际传媒�

She remembers having a heart attack at the hotel sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 a pain you never forgetsa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� but after entering the ambulance her memory is spotty. She remembers little about the trip to Kelowna, then nothing until four days later when she was taken out of an induced coma. She came home to Salmo four days after that, on Nov. 28.

Piecing the daysa国际传媒檚 events together later, Comeau says after the initial heart attack she had three cardiac arrests the same day.

It has not been proven in court that the incident directly caused Comeausa国际传媒檚 heart attacks.

But she said several of her doctors told her they thought it did, and she said one of them wrote a letter to the police stating this opinion.

Independently of the medical opinion, Comeau is convinced the two are connected.

sa国际传媒淚 know my temperament,sa国际传媒� she said.

She put on a calm demeanor in the midst of the incident because she didnsa国际传媒檛 want to panic in front of the servers, and she resisted telling Undershute what she thought of him.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 a professional. Isa国际传媒檓 a manager. But inside, I wasnsa国际传媒檛 calm. I was raging. I could feel all of that raging inside of me when I was talking to him, I had it raging inside me when I had to go into my office with his spit all over me and watch the surveillance footage.sa国际传媒�

Since arriving home shesa国际传媒檚 been dealing with confusion, limited mobility and pain, and she was taken to Kootenay Boundary Hospital again on Dec. 10 and on Dec. 23 with complications. Her husband has had to stay home and look after her. As of Dec. 28, Comeau said she felt about 60-to-70 per cent recovered.

She has worked for the Adventure Hotel for 12 years, working her way up through various jobs, and she calls the hotel staff her work family. Shesa国际传媒檚 grateful for the companysa国际传媒檚 response to her situation.

sa国际传媒淩ob told me, sa国际传媒業 donsa国际传媒檛 care what you need. You phone me, you text me. I donsa国际传媒檛 care what it is, yousa国际传媒檙e going to have it.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com
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