A downtown disturbance in front of city hall on Monday night drew police attention and a video recording has gathered a significant amount of attention on social media.
Shortly after 6:30 pm, a Kamloops officer was conducting patrols when he observed a man in a white vehicle parked in front of city hall.
The officer claims the man was reportedly yelling and swearing at a woman standing with her dog before exiting the vehicle.
The responding officer thought the situation was escalating, says a release form the RCMP.
The man was arrested for causing a disturbance but the suspect allegedly resisted arrest and handed off a bag to the woman with the dog. The officer handcuffed the man.
“During the arrest, the investigator noticed a third woman, seated in the white vehicle, who appeared badly injured and blood could be seen on her face,” says the release.
“The officer was aware of the concurrent investigation in which a woman had been shot earlier that evening and became concerned that these events might possibly be related.”
The woman with the bag and the dog reportedly tried to leave the scene, however, the officer attempted to stop her and retrieve what he considered evidence.
According to the responding officer, the woman allegedly positioned the dog between herself and the officer and it bit his holster.
She was arrested for obstruction but continued to back away while her dog “continued to act aggressively toward the officer, which prompted him to pull out his gun.
A passerby, who seemed familiar with the dog, took custody of the animal.
Once the dog was handed off, the woman was arrested who also continued to resist arrest, say the Kamloops RCMP.
A second woman filmed the entire incident and the 2 minute video has been posted to Facebook.
The woman in the vehicle was uncooperative with the officers and did not tell them how she became injured, says the release.
“Our officers face countless risks every day and make spilt-second decisions, often based on extremely limited information,” said Supt. Jeff Pelley of the Kamloops RCMP.
“It’s important to understand the full circumstances of any incident, rather than rely on a social media video that may not provide complete context.”
In total, police seized approximately 29.7 grams of suspected fentanyl and 5.9 grams of suspected methamphetamines, as well as small amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine.
Supt. Pelley says the man is known to police and both him and the woman were later released.
No charges have been laid at this time and an “comprehensive review of the circumstances” and an investigation is ongoing.
