Rhonda Comeau says she was trying to protect the servers at Empire Coffee in Nelson91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渟heep.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭hese girls are young,91裸聊视频� Comeau said. 91裸聊视频淭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, you91裸聊视频檙e not dealing with a 16 year old now.91裸聊视频�

Comeau, who is the financial controller for the hotel, told him they wouldn91裸聊视频檛 serve him because he was bullying the staff. She told Undershute to leave and he refused.

91裸聊视频淚 said, 91裸聊视频榃ell, you91裸聊视频檙e either leaving on your own, or you91裸聊视频檙e leaving by police escort, I really don91裸聊视频檛 care which.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

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

Related:

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, Comeau91裸聊视频檚 first concern was to clean herself up.

91裸聊视频淲hen I got into the bathroom, that91裸聊视频檚 when it kind of hit me what happened,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淎nd that91裸聊视频檚 when I started getting really ticked off. I was looking forward to see my grandkids, and this guy just spit on me. I didn91裸聊视频檛 know if he91裸聊视频檚 got something. This could ruin Christmas.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淚 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 isn91裸聊视频檛 a good place to be outside by myself. Something91裸聊视频檚 wrong. I walked into [hotel manager Rob Little91裸聊视频檚] office and he was on his phone. And I just said, 91裸聊视频楻ob, call 911.91裸聊视频� I knew I was having a heart attack.91裸聊视频�

She remembers having a heart attack at the hotel 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 a pain you never forget91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� 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 day91裸聊视频檚 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 Comeau91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚 know my temperament,91裸聊视频� she said.

She put on a calm demeanor in the midst of the incident because she didn91裸聊视频檛 want to panic in front of the servers, and she resisted telling Undershute what she thought of him.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 a professional. I91裸聊视频檓 a manager. But inside, I wasn91裸聊视频檛 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.91裸聊视频�

Since arriving home she91裸聊视频檚 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. She91裸聊视频檚 grateful for the company91裸聊视频檚 response to her situation.

91裸聊视频淩ob told me, 91裸聊视频業 don91裸聊视频檛 care what you need. You phone me, you text me. I don91裸聊视频檛 care what it is, you91裸聊视频檙e going to have it.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com
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