Suspended senator Patrick Brazeau arrested in Gatineau

Several media outlets have identified suspended senator Patrick Brazeau as the man Gatineau police say was arrested for assault, uttering death threats and possible cocaine possession.

Police have yet to identify the man they say was arrested just before 4 a.m Thursday.

Media relations officer with Gatineau Police, Pierre Lanthier, says officers were called to a house on Labrosse Boulevard to investigate domestic violence.

When police arrived, they found a man and a woman fighting on the porch. Police say the woman was the victim of assault.

Police say another man inside the house claims he was threatened.

During their investigation, police say they found a white substance they suspect is cocaine.

The 39-year-old suspect will appear in a Gatineau courtroom this morning.

Police are expected to confirm the man’s identity once charges are formally laid.

The charges are the latest in a series of legal troubles for the 39-year-old suspended senator.

Brazeau was booted from the Conservative caucus in February 2013, after he was charged with assault and sexual assault following an altercation with a former girlfriend.

Last November, Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin were suspended from the Senate without pay, amidst an ongoing investigation into improperly claimed expenses. Following outside audits, all three were ordered to repay thousands of dollars in expenses.

On Feb. 4 of this year, RCMP charged Brazeau and former senator Mac Harb with one count each of fraud and breach of trust over their Senate expenses.

Brazeau is alleged to have improperly claimed close to $49,000 in housing expenses, after claiming his father’s home in Maniwaki as his primary residence in order to receive a taxpayer-subsidized allowance.

None of the allegations have been tested or proven in court.

Brazeau had most recently been working as a manager at an Ottawa strip club.