After a man was injured during an altercation with West Kelowna RCMP on Wednesday, Oct. 18, the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) is now looking into the incident.
In the early afternoon on Wednesday, RCMP in Kelowna received reports about multiple gunshots fired. A large police presence descended on the area of Harvey Avenue and Richter Street, which closed Saucier Avenue from Richter to Ethel Street. Central School on Richter was also put on a ‘hold and secure’ for several hours because of the police presence.
Upon arrival, additional reports stated the suspect fled the scene in a vehicle with a gun in his hand.
As police gathered information at the scene, the West Kelowna Fire Department received calls about a single-vehicle crash on Hawthorne Road. When they arrived, they saw the man run away from the vehicle with the gun in his hand.
West Kelowna RCMP arrived at the scene and found the suspect a short distance away, on Skyline Road. Because the suspect had a gun, the RCMP closed off Boucherie Road from Hudson Road to Andres Road.
The Southeast District Emergency Response Team and a negotiator were called in, however, the suspect had apparently locked himself in a porta-potty and was refusing to comply with any directions.
According to the IIO, eventually, there was an interaction between the armed suspect and police that resulted in the man being injured.
An ambulance rushed the man to hospital, leaving the scene shortly after 2 p.m. His injuries are unknown at this time.
While witnesses said they heard a loud bang in the area, it’s unclear whether any gunshots were fired.
IIO is currently investigating the RCMP’s actions during the incident. Because it’s being investigated by IIO, the RCMP can no longer provide any further information. However, the RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit has launched a parallel investigation into the event before the police interaction.
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