Lyonel Doherty, Times Chronicle Staff
A “shocking and scary” incident saw a woman with a sawed-off rifle wander into a private residence on Road 18 recently.
On January 8 at 3:20 a.m, the Oliver RCMP responded to a report of a female passed out in a chair inside a home on Road 18. When police attended, the female was still asleep in the chair and an officer observed what appeared to be a firearm in her hand hidden beneath a large purse. The officer then secured a sawed off .22 calibre rifle and handcuffed the female who still had not woken up, according to the report.
Police said the 25-year-old female was not known to the residents of the house but she claimed it was her ex-husband’s house and had entered through an unlocked front door.
“At no time were the occupants of the house threatened by the female and only discovered her asleep once their dogs woke them,” said Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth. He noted the firearm was found to be inoperable.
The female was released later that day on an undertaking to appear in Penticton Provincial Court on February 15 with the following charges being recommended: Break and enter, unauthorized possession of prohibited weapon, possession of weapon for dangerous purpose, use of firearm during the commission of an indictable offence, and possession of controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.
“This is a very concerning incident for all involved that thankfully came to a safe conclusion for the family, the attending police and the accused woman,” said Wrigglesworth. “The amount of suspected fentanyl found on her was consistent with drug trafficking. Where there are drugs, there is a greater chance of violence and weapons are often involved,” he noted.
For homeowner Heide Held, the incident was very shocking and scary, to say the least.
She recalled her dogs started growling early that morning, so she thought it was a coyote after her chickens. Then she feared that a bear was in the house because her dogs would go no further. When she began walking around she observed a shadowy figure by the fireplace. She immediately woke her husband and called 911. At one point her husband tried to wake the intruder, but to no avail.
When police arrived, an officer handcuffed the woman who was still sleeping. When he proceeded to grab her other arm he discovered the rifle, Held said.
“It was just shocking. Why was she here? Why was she packing a firearm?”
Held, who never saw the woman before, suspects the intruder may have intended to rob them. According to Held, the woman subsequently sent a message to her son on Facebook asking them to drop the charges. But Held said the police are the ones laying the charges, not her.
Held said she is still on edge and is afraid to venture outside to check her livestock after what happened. “This could have went so wrong,” she sighed, recalling the intruder appeared to be high on drugs.
The homeowner said small town Oliver isn’t as safe as it used to be.
She noted that police reminded her to make sure that all her doors are locked at night.
After the story appeared on the Times Chronicle website, one reader expressed serious concern with releasing the suspect considering the circumstances.
Area C director Rick Knodel mirrored this concern, saying he was “infuriated” with the outcome, noting the judicial system is getting worse by putting citizens at risk.
“There is absolutely no deterrent left in our court system,” he said in exasperation.
Knodel said the Oliver RCMP is a fabulous police force that is so “hobbled” by the justice system that he is surprised that anyone would want to become a police officer today.
The director said part of the problem is the continuous battle between the “academics” and citizens. He referred to the academics’ argument that society must treat people with drug addictions and mental health issues “gently” which often sees the rights of the accused trump the rights and safety of citizens.
“I’m tired of it,” he said.
Knodel has been trying to organize politicians to put pressure on the federal and provincial government to get tougher on sentencing and the bail system.
“It’s like they’re scared of it. I’m so frustrated with my counterparts who don’t seem eager to act.”
Speaking of the Road 18 incident, Wrigglesworth said a number of factors must be taken into account regarding the issue of detention vs release. These include: correct identity of the accused; no reasonable grounds there will be a repetition of the offence; and no reasonable grounds the accused will fail to appear in court.
The commander said there are no concerns in relation to the accused and the safety of the public.
“The accused history was minimal; she did not know the people in the house and the firearm was seized.”
Wrigglesworth added that the Charter of Rights states that police are not permitted to arbitrarily detain a person. He also noted that unlawful denial of freedom by the police is considered the most serious of all Charter violations.
