Penticton RCMP were called to the local homeless shelter to assist BC EHS paramedics who were being threatened while providing life-saving measures to a person who was unconscious on Tuesday, April 26.
Police located the suspect responsible for the threats. The man was arrested and charges of uttering threats and resisting arrest will be forwarded to Crown Counsel for consideration.
Paramedics in Penticton are busier than ever before.
Ambulances were called out to 748 overdoses last year, nearly double the amount from the year before of 474 call-outs.
“While Penticton has year-over-year shown an increase in overdoses, the community is part of a province-wide trend to increasing overdose numbers during the pandemic,” said BC EHS.
READ MORE: Those on the frontlines of the crisis in Penticton speak out
On a per-capita basis, Penticton RCMP responds to twice as many mental health calls as Kelowna, Kamloops and Vernon, said Penticton’s top cop.
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