A 55-year-old man from Salmo has been arrested on two outstanding warrants following a lengthy standoff with the RCMP on Tuesday.
According to officers with the Sicamous detachment, the standoff began at 10 am on March 21 after they were notified the man barricaded himself in his travel trailer at a RV park in Malakwa.
Police say the man ignored their commands and multiple attempts to negotiate failed when the man refused to exit the RV.
“Police were concerned for the safety of both officers and the public in the RV park as one of the arrest warrants involved a firearms offence,” says a news release.
Sicamous and Salmon Arm RCMP officers then set up a containment of the area and asked nearby residents to vacate their trailers. Residents were unable to return to their RV for several hours due to the “refusal of the individual to follow lawful police direction.”
Members of the South East District Emergency Response Team (SEDERT) and specialized units from Kelowna were also called in for back up.
Finally, at 3 pm, the SEDERT deployed tear gas into the RV which forced the man to exit the RV. He was arrested without further incident and transported to the Salmon Arm RCMP detachment.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, March 22 for a bail hearing.
