POLICE – Suspect, RCMP exchanged several shots, timeline report says

A 35-year-old Kamloops man arrested early today (Oct. 28, 2017) in connection with a standoff at the G&M Trailer Park faces “an array” of potential charges, RCMP told a media conference.

The arrest was made at 4 a.m. without incident with the assistance of the Emergency Response and a police negotiator.

Police first became involved when they received a call early on Friday morning about an assault on the North Shore.  After an altercation with police at a residence, the suspect fled the area with a weapon, said Cpl. Jodie Shelkie.  There was an exchange of gunfire with police before the suspect went to a residence in the G&M Trailer Park.

“We want to thank the residents and management of G&M Trailer Park very much for their cooperation, patience and assistance during this stressful event,” said Cpl. Jodi Shelkie.

“This was the resolution we were seeking – and although negotiations do take time, the end outcome is worth it.”

“We want to acknowledge the patience of all the motorists we know were inconvenienced due to road and highway closures,” she said.

“We are well aware of the impact of shutting down major roads, and we only took that step in this instance to ensure public safety as the suspect was in possession of a high-powered rifle.  All roads have now been re-opened.”

Police don’t believe anyone was injured during the events that played out across parts of Kamloops.

The suspect is being held in custody to go before a judge on Monday.

Here’s the complete timeline of events released by police:

INTRODUCTION

This incident began around 6 a.m. on Oct. 27, 2018 and continued until 4 a.m. Oct. 28, 2017. Due to the dangerous tactical operation that was involved, the criminal investigation is only ramping up now. Not all facts are clearly established and we continue to bring further clarity to the investigation on an hourly basis. The following is a summary of facts as we know them right now.

INITIAL CALL

On Oct. 27, 2017 at about 6 a.m. Kamloops RCMP were called to an assault complaint at a North Shore residence. The address is not specifically being disclosed to protect the identity of the victims. During this investigation, a suspect was identified and RCMP members began making inquiries looking for him. This suspect is a 35-year-old resident of Kamloops but his name cannot be released until charges are laid.

NANAIMO STREET

This investigation led RCMP to checking a residence on Nanaimo Street around 9:40 a.m. It was then determined that the suspect was in this residence which belonged to an acquaintance. When police tried to make contact with the suspect he responded by threatening to shoot police with a firearm.

At this point, the RCMP repositioned to contain the residence and began trying to de-escalate the situation by speaking to him by telephone. During this conversation the suspect is alleged to have threaten to shoot police and was clearly agitated.

The Kelowna Emergency Response Team was coincidently already in Kamloops assisting with a high risk search warrant on an unrelated matter. During this initial confrontation, RCMP Kamloops requested their assistance.

PURSUIT

The suspect exited the house with a long gun, entered his truck and fled the Nanaimo residence. This led to a police pursuit that departed this area and moved to the Mt. Paul Industrial area. Once in this general area, the suspect shot at police from both inside his vehicle and when stopped, outside of his vehicle. There were four separate incidents of the suspect shooting at police and police returning fire in this general area. There have been no reports of gunshot injuries from police, the suspect or any bystanders.

ARMED AND BARRICADED

During these altercations, the Kelowna ERT team caught up to the pursuit and assisted Kamloops members. The pursuit moved into the G and M trailer park located just off Highway 5 on the north side of the river.

In order to control this dangerous situation, the ERT team used their armoured vehicle to disable the suspect’s truck. The suspect was not in his truck at the time of the collision and a further exchange of gunfire occurred in the trailer park. This area was contained and eventually the police determined the suspect was armed and barricaded in a trailer he was known to reside in.

Around 10:30 a.m. the suspect was contained in his trailer and police requested that all other residents shelter in place while arrangements were made for a safe evacuation. A request was made for an additional ERT team to deal with the considerable public risks involved. An ERT team was dispatched from the Lower Mainland District. This is why there were reports of a police convoy travelling towards Kamloops on the Coquihalla Highway.

THE RESOLUTION

Once the additional ERT team was in place, the residents of the G and M trailer park were evacuated. We engaged with the suspect through our negotiation team and began working towards a peaceful surrender. This was a prolonged negotiation that was very tense. On several occasions the suspect made explicit threats to police and discharged his rifle within the home. However, by 4 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2017 the suspect surrendered without incident and is now in police custody.

Several serious charges are pending while the Kamloops Serious Crime Unit continue their investigation.