Yellowknife dental clinic says teenagers assaulted staff

Staff at Yellowknife’s Adam Dental Clinic say teenagers came into the building and attacked a dentist on Wednesday morning before being repelled by employees and patients.

Workers at the downtown clinic say the incident took place just before 8am. Three people – their precise ages aren’t known, but staff described them as teens – had been seen waiting outside its rear entrance.

Staff who reviewed security camera footage said a dentist approaching the building at the start of the work day was followed in by the three people, who proceeded to launch an attack.

Ryan Polintan, a receptionist at the clinic, was already at work. He told Cabin Radio he saw the attack begin and joined others in fighting to push the attackers back out of the building.

“It was a crazy morning,” Polintan said.

“One of our dentists was rushing in and a couple of guys were charging at him. We had a confrontation here at the front.”

Dr Adam, the clinic owner, was pushed in the ensuing struggle, Polintan said.

With many children waiting to be seen by the dentists that morning, one of the children’s relatives got up and helped staff push the attackers outside, the receptionist added.

“I think the other guy got hit,” said Polintan, referring to the person who helped. “I got scratched.”

Staff said the three people began attacking the front door glass after being moved outside, at which point RCMP arrived.

A police spokesperson confirmed officers had been called, attended and are now investigating.

Stills from the clinic’s security cameras show one person dressed all in black with a hood pulled up over their head, one all in blue with white shoes and a North Face logo on their hoodie, and one in a black hoodie and sweatpants with a white tee.

Nobody at the clinic was immediately able to identify any motive for such an attack.

The dentist who was said to have been followed into the clinic was not available for comment – colleagues said he had a full schedule of patients to treat.

Polintan said he had not seen anything like Wednesday morning’s events in his year working at the clinic.

“I’m still anxious,” he said, returning to his position at the front desk, “but yeah, you have to do the work.”

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