A 40-year-old woman is facing charges after assaulting a Portage la Prairie RCMP officer with a homemade knife, sending him to the hospital.

On Sunday morning at 9:30, RCMP received a call about a suspicious person in a residential backyard on Wilkinson Crescent in Portage la Prairie.

When an officer arrived, they saw a woman walking on Crescent Road East, a road that connects with Wilkinson Crescent along Crescent lake.

RCMP Manitoba says the officer noticed the woman was not wearing clothing suited for the weather and observed that she may be under the influence of drugs.

The officer then attempted to speak with the woman and ask her if she needed help but the woman was unable to answer the questions or identify herself. Trying to run away, the woman then fell to the ground.

The officer then attempted to place her under arrest. The woman resisted. At this time, the officer felt a sudden sharp pain in his right thigh, realizing he had been stabbed with something.

Searching the woman, he located a large homemade knife that had been tucked into her waistband. RCMP says he also found a capped needle.

Other officers arrived at the scene to take the woman into custody. The original officer then drove himself to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

The woman is currently in custody and is facing charges including Assaulting a Police Officer, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for Dangerous Purpose.