Four RCMP vehicles near the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 33 in Kelowna on Wednesday, Aug. 11. (Jen Zielinski/Black Press Media)

Kelowna RCMP arrest man panhandling at Highway 97 intersection

Mounties allege the man attempted to assault an officer after being given a warning

  • Aug. 12, 2021 12:00 a.m.

The Kelowna RCMP arrested a man who was asking for change as cars drove through the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 33 on Wednesday evening.

Const. Solana Paré told the Capital News an officer was patrolling the area when they noticed a man committing a bylaw offence — panhandling — on the median. She said the man had previously been given a warning for the same infraction.

Paré claimed the man then “became escalated, yelling at the officer and ran into the roadway towards the officer.” The man then allegedly attempted to assault the officer and was subsequently arrested.

Shortly after the incident, several police cruisers were spotted near the intersection.

The man was later released from police custody without conditions.

The City of Kelowna’s panhandling bylaw forbids panhandling from drivers stopped at traffic lights, along with several other circumstances. People found to be breaking the bylaw can be fined up to $2,000 or jailed up to 90 days. The bylaw has been in place since 1998.

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@michaelrdrguezmichael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com

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Kelowna Capital News