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Police officer assaulted with pepper spray during traffic stop near Revelstoke

Contributor
By Contributor
June 8th, 2020

RCMP said in a media release Monday, that an arrest has been made after a frontline officer was assaulted during a traffic stop early Sunday morning outside of Revelstoke.

Police said that on June 7, 2020 shortly after 9:30 a.m., a frontline officer with the Revelstoke RCMP conducted a traffic stop with a blue early 90’s GMC Tracker, towing a white enclosed utility trailer for a Motor Vehicle Act violation on Highway 1, approximately 20 km east of the city.

“During the course of what started as a routine traffic stop, the driver deployed pepper spray at the police officer, while officer interacted with the woman at her driver’s side window,” states Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the RCMP Southeast District.

“While our officer was dealing with the temporarily disabling effects of the pepper spray, a male passenger exited the vehicle and the suspect fled the area eastbound along the highway.”

The police officer was treated at the scene by BC Emergency Health Services for non-life threatening injuries. Despite being injured, the officer determined that the male passenger was not associated to the suspect, instead he had been hitch hiking when he was picked up by the woman.

RCMP located the suspect vehicle a few kilometres from the scene, near the Giant Cedars Boardwalk.

The woman, who was found inside the utility trailer, was emotionally distraught, uncooperative and failed to comply with police commands. She was eventually physically taken into police custody. She was unharmed.

A search of the suspect vehicle located a loaded crossbow, pepper spray and a knife.

The 26-year-old Maple Ridge woman remains in custody and faces a number of potential criminal charges. The police investigation remains ongoing and police are seeking additional witnesses.

“This shocking situation highlights the inherent dangers that frontline police officers face each and every day they go to work,” states S/Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky, Revelstoke RCMP Detachment Commander.

“This officer remained focussed on her duty to protect and serve the public by continuing her investigation and relaying important details to other officers in order to safely apprehend the woman who posed a potential risk to herself and others.”

Anyone who may have witnessed this incident and have not yet spoken to police, or believe they had an encounter with the woman prior you are asked to call the Revelstoke RCMP at 250-837-5255.

Categories: Crime

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