Two people are being charged with attempted murder following Tuesday’s police incident near Westwold.
Darwyn Allen Curtis Sellars, 31, and Jennifer Patricia Singleton, 38, are facing multiple charges including attempted murder, flight from police and possession of a firearm.
Sellars and Singleton were arrested Dec. 3 following a dynamic police incident that unfolded quickly Tuesday morning between Falkland and Westwold and shut down Highway 97 for more than six hours.
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP were notified of a suspicious vehicle in the Falkland area just before 8 a.m.
“RCMP officers controlled access to the highway and strategically set up roadblocks in an attempt to safely stop the vehicle,” media relations officer Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy said. “The driver failed to stop for police and allegedly fired shots from the vehicle as it fled from our officers, posing a serious risk to public safety.”
Spike belts and tire deflation devices were used to stop the suspect vehicle east of Westwold.
Witnesses told the Morning Star that more than 19 shots were heard during the incident.
The male suspect was reportedly in the Petro-Canada gas station store in Falkland at 9:24 a.m., according to an employee, who believed he came from Vernon. RCMP called the store at 9:26 a.m. and advised them to lockdown.
“This has never happened before and normally when the highway closes its an accident,” the employee said. She figured the highway would be closed all day.
Out of an abundance of caution, RCMP also ordered the lock down of Westwold Elementary School.
At 2 p.m., DriveBC reported Highway 97 was partially re-opened through Westwold. Single-lane alternating traffic is able to pass through the town, around four hours after the road was closed. The highway was completely cleared by 4:09 p.m., according to DriveBC.
Sellars was the driver of the vehicle and faces additional charges of driving while prohibited/suspended licence. Sellars was also on probation for a previous charge at the time of his arrest, and his Wednesday charges include two counts of breach of probation order.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or has video regarding it is asked to contact the North Okanagan RCMP at 250-546-3028.
READ MORE: Highway re-opens after police incident near Falkland
READ MORE: Eyewitness hears 19 shots fires in Westwold police incident
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