A man, who may be a priest, was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries after being allegedly attacked inside the Okanagan Sikh Temple early Monday morning in Kelowna.
RCMP say a 29-year-old man was acting aggressively towards others at the temple on 1100-block of Rutland Rd. North and a witness told police that the suspect’s aggressive behaviour escalated and shifted to him, after he confronted the suspect who allegedly grabbed a hold of a woman’s arm.
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The suspect then entered inside the temple where he allegedly proceeded to assault another man, but before doing so, the witness managed to wrestle the suspect to the ground.
“Both men should be recognized for their bravery and determination in subduing the suspect, despite being injured during the physical altercation,” said Cpl. Kelowna RCMP’s Jesse O’Donaghey. “These men more than likely prevented further similar attacks against other innocent bystanders.”
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The man remains in police custody and faces a number of potential criminal charges.
RCMP investigators do not believe that the man’s actions were religiously motivated.
“Although we don’t believe the unidentified woman sustained any injuries, our investigators would like to hear from her about her encounter, as we continue to investigate,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.
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