One man is in police custody following a car-jacking incident this morning.
At approximately 8:00 a.m. this morning, the Kelowna RCMP responded to a motor vehicle collision in the area of Glenmore Road and Snowsell Road in Kelowna. When officers arrived on scene they learned that a male suspect driving a truck had allegedly caused a collision involving two other vehicles, a Honda CRV and a Hyundai Santa Fe. After the collision, the male suspect attempted to steal a Subaru by assaulting the driver and discharging a firearm. The suspect then stole a pick-up truck and fled the area. A female motorist involved the collision received serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital by EHS.
The Critical Incident Program was activated and a Critical Incident Commander along with the Southeast District Emergency Response Team (ERT), RCMP Air Services, and officers from Kelowna and West Kelowna Detachment assisted.
Shortly before 10:50 a.m., ERT officers conducted a traffic stop with the stolen truck and suspect driver on Grizzly Road in West Kelowna. The suspect ran from his vehicle to Highway 97 where he attempted to car-jack another vehicle before he was arrested.
The suspect, a 33-year-old man, was transported to hospital and treated for minor injuries he sustained during the collision. He is currently in police custody and could possibly be facing charges related to his arrest. As a result of this investigation, officers seized three firearms from the suspect.
This was a dynamic and dangerous unfolding incident involving a firearm. Our General Duty police response, the support of RCMP Air Services and the Critical Incident Program served to bring this situation to a safe resolution and the suspect being apprehended,
states Insp. Adam MacIntosh, Operations Officer of the Kelowna RCMP. I am both proud of the professionalism exhibited and the high level of training our officers receive and executed today.
The investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Kelowna RCMP General Investigative Services – Robbery Unit.
Investigators believe there may be additional vehicles that were damaged as a result of the collision on Glenmore Road. If your vehicle sustained damage as a result of this collision, please contact the Kelowna RCMP to file a report if you have not already done so.
Investigators are also asking anyone with dash-cam video who was in the area of the of the motor vehicle collision on Glenmore Road or the area of Highway 97 in West Kelowna, to contact the Robbery Unit at 250-762-3300.
