Merritt RCMP have arrested and charged three suspects involved in a kidnapping.
On November 18, 2022, shortly after 1:00 pm, frontline officers heard a gun shot in the 1300 block of Priest Avenue. When officers arrived in the area, a dark coloured sedan was seen speeding away from the area. The sedan was located parked near a residence in the 1700 block of Nicola Avenue in Merritt.
The South East District Emergency Response Team (SED ERT) were called to assist in clearing a residence in the area.
The suspects attempted to flee from police however, police were able to track down and arrest the individuals.
The victim was located by police and was uninjured.
Three suspects were arrested and taken into custody by officer
Braeden Shane Drake, Mark Ethan Giesbrecht, and William Joseph Lavoie have been charged by indictment for hostage taking with a firearm, and entering a dwelling house without lawful excuse to commit an indictable offence. All are currently being held in custody.
There has been a brazen disregard for public safety recently in our community, and having these individuals off our streets will hopefully restore a sense of security back to the community,
said Sergeant Josh Roda of the Merritt RCMP. We want to thank the public for their patience as we worked diligently to mitigate any further risk.
