The 21-year-old woman charged with attempting to murder an RCMP officer Monday hugged and kissed her co-accused as they stood together in court this morning.

Jessica Johnson and 29-year-old Christopher Cornell face charges of attempting to shoot and kill Haines Junction RCMP Cpl. Kim MacKellar with a rifle.

The couple is also facing several other serious charges, including committing armed robbery at Madley's General Store in Haines Junction early Monday morning before the shop opened up for business.

They were arrested some three hours later, and eventually transported to Whitehorse to appear in territorial court this morning.

Johnson made no attempt to hide her affection as she and Cornell stood in the prisoner's dock in the company of male and female RCMP officers before the judge arrived.

Cornell even broke a slight smile a couple of times as Johnson hugged him and ran her fingers through his hair while apparently whispering into his ear.

Not until justice of the peace Dean Cameron ordered the officers to separate the two was there any sign of aggression.

As the male officer pulled Cornell away from Johnson, Cornell swiftly ripped his arm out of the officer's hand, and glanced back with a terse "Don't-touch-me” look.

Johnson's reaction to the female officer's grasp was similar, but not as aggressive.

Both accused remain in custody pending their next court appearance scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Crown prosecutor Kevin McGillivray asked for and received an order prohibiting any contact between Cornell and Johnson, and between the two accused and several individuals who may be called down the road as witnesses in the case.

Cameron has also imposed a publication ban on any evidence which is given at the upcoming bail hearing.

MacKellar, the detachment commander for the community of 800, was taken to Whitehorse General Hospital with undisclosed but non-life threatening injuries.

The officer, who has a wife and two teenaged children, was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Vancouver.

Police are not saying whether he was shot, citing the court-imposed publication ban regarding specific details of the case.

"The full extent of his injuries and his medical outlook are not known at this time,” RCMP Sgt. Don Rogers said explained in a briefing this morning.

MacKellar was investigating a report of a break and enter at Madley's General Store at around 7 a.m. when he encountered and pursued a suspect vehicle, police have confirmed.

One or more shots were fired in the direction of the officer's vehicle in a rural area near Haines Junction, Rogers said.

He said it was on the highway, in "an area where the public wasn't in any danger at that time.”

Officers from the RCMP Emergency Response Team, dog services and forensic identification services, were all called to the scene.

A member of forensic identification services and a member of the traffic services were en route to the scene when they came across the accused, Rogers said.

The pair, both from Whitehorse and known to police, were arrested without incident at around 10 a.m.

The RCMP are also investigating other "incidents” which occurred prior to the break and enter at the general store.

"There are other incidents that occurred before this that may or may not be related,” Rogers said.

Cornell and Johnson have each been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, the use of a firearm during flight from a robbery, assault with a weapon, robbery, break and enter and theft, and possession of stolen property over $5,000 related to a Chevrolet Blazer.

According to court documents, Cornell faces three additional charges related to probation violations.

He has been charged with possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of bear spray contrary to a court order from May 2007 prohibiting him from possessing weapons or ammunition.

Cornell also faces three other unrelated charges connected to an incident earlier this month.

On Sept. 21, he was charged with possessing a boat with a value greater than $5,000, knowing that the boat was obtained by an indictable offence, the operation of a motor vehicle on a highway in a manner that is dangerous to the public and unlawfully damaging a boat and trailer, the value of the damage being less than under $5,000.

By ASHLEY JOANNOU

and Chuck Tobin

Star Reporters