An Oliver man was taken into custody and charged after a bizarre incident near Penticton Tuesday.
A 24-year-old Oliver man is facing charges of assault with a weapon, impaired driving and fleeing from police after a frightening incident on Eastside Road near Penticton on Tuesday.
At approximately 230 pm, Penticton RCMP were alerted of a possible impaired driver operating a pickup truck erratically while driving north on Eastside Road toward Penticton.
The caller followed the vehicle East on Valleyview Road where the driver of the truck exited the vehicle and confronted the caller with a crowbar in a threatening manner. All available police resources responded and surrounded the area.
The suspect male then got back into his truck and fled at a high rate of speed before losing control and high-centering on a concrete median at Crescent Hill Road. Two female occupants of the truck remained with the vehicle while the suspect male fled on foot and was apprehended a short distance away by police officers.
There were no injuries as a result of either the accident or the confrontation.
“The persistence and observations of the caller greatly assisted the police in apprehending this suspect,” said Cst. Darrell Miller who was the watch commander on duty. “But I want to remind the public to ensure their own safety and avoid putting themselves in harm’s way, as this incident could have been a lot worse for all parties.”
The suspect faces charges of impaired operation of a motor vehicle, assault with a weapon and flight from police, as well as further charges under the Motor Vehicle Act.
He was expected to be released later that night for a future court appearance.
Police said the vehicle belonged to the suspect but was not registered to operate.
