~Kamloops This Week
A youth was arrested on Thursday night (June 22) after a Kamloops Mountie suffered injuries after being struck in the head with a skateboard.
The incident occurred at about 11:20 p.m. at the North Shore transit exchange on Sydney Avenue.
Cpl. Crystal Evelyn said officers were called to the transit exchange for a disturbance report involving a group of between 18 and 20 intoxicated youths. An assault and threats were also reported.
Evelyn said a responding police officer attempted to arrest a male youth, who began resisting. She said other youths began pulling the officer away.
“While the officer was dealing with that situation, another male youth allegedly smashed the police officer’s windshield with a skateboard, then struck the officer in the head with it, immediately causing injury,” Evelyn said.
The police officer was treated at the scene by paramedics and at Royal Inland Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Backup officers arrested the assault suspect nearby. Charges are pending.
Evelyn said the first youth arrested was taken home to his guardian without process, pending the investigation’s results.
“Very fortunately, the officer is expected to recover,” Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley said. “This was an extremely alarming situation that could have most certainly had a very different outcome for the officer and youths involved. I can’t stress enough the importance of cooperating with a police investigation and not interfering, which helps no one, and, in this case, led to an officer being assaulted and a youth now facing very serious charge recommendations.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has video of it is asked to call Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000.
This is the second incident, since March, where a Mountie was injured after responding to a situation involving a teen.
On March 4, just before midnight, a Kamloops RCMP officer was patrolling the 400-block of Lansdowne Street when he heard a vehicle alarm, leading to the officer arresting a male youth for mischief, and would later discover smashed vehicle windows.
The suspect, however, fled the scene, but was located by another officer. That officer struggled to detain the suspect, who smashed a police vehicle window while resisting arrest, and a assaulted a police officer at Royal Inland Hospital after being transported there by paramedics.
Later that month RCMP were called to Lansdowne Street and Sixth Avenue where about 20 teens were intoxicated and causing a disturbance, several people were arrested and ticketed.
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