A loaded handgun and drugs were seized from a stolen pickup truck Wednesday morning.
A parked truck at a 25th Street residence was warming up, unattended, with keys inside, was stolen before 7:15 a.m., Feb. 17, and police were notified immediately.
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP began patrolling for the vehicle and an officer spotted it travelling southbound on Commonage leaving Vernon.
The officer attempted to stop it, but the driver stepped on the gas, moved into the oncoming lane and overtook several vehicles as it fled from police. The officer stopped its pursuit of the pickup and concentrated patrols began in the area.
A man, deemed suspicious, was standing in a roundabout on Commonage Road near Predator Ridge, catching the eye of a BC Highway Patrol officer in the area where the stolen truck was later found.
The man got into a passenger vehicle which attempted to drive away when other officers arrived in the area stopping the vehicle.
In their interaction with the occupants, an investigator noticed the passenger, a man, appeared to be in possession of a weapon.
A loaded 9mm handgun was later found under the passenger’s seat, plus a number of items from the stolen vehicle were found in the man’s possession.
“The discovery of a loaded firearm during this arrest highlights the potential dangers our officers face while carrying out their duties and reaffirms that nothing about police work is routine,” media relations officer Const. Chris Terleski said.
“Thankfully, this weapon did not come into play or this situation may have had an entirely different outcome.”
A 41-year old Penticton man and 33-year-old Vernon woman are currently in police custody and face a number of potential criminal charges as the investigation into the incident continues.
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