Three-hour RCMP standoff in Oliver ends in arrest of known Penticton prolific offender

Photo: Sebastian Kanally

A three-hour police standoff in Oliver Tuesday ended peacefully with the arrest of a known prolific offender who officers had recognized.

At 3:30 p.m. on May 23, officers were called to 6142 Kootenay Street in Oliver.

Cpl. Paul Symons with Oliver RCMP said that officers were conducting “proactive patrols” in the 6100 block of Kootenay St. when they discovered a vehicle that had been reported stolen from a rental company. The vehicle was parked behind a residence that police were familiar with.

The officer that was present was in the process of recovering the vehicle when he recognized a prolific offender out of Penticton on the property. Police had been actively seeking the individual for a series of “serious offences” in Penticton.

The man retreated into a detached garage and refused to come out. A three-hour standoff saw numerous police vehicles, a dog unit and officers with guns drawn surrounding the garage. The man exited the garage and was arrested without incident.

The RCMP’s tactical emergency response team appeared on the scene around 6:30 p.m. just prior to the surrender.

Along with the arrest, police recovered another stolen vehicle from inside the garage in addition to several stolen firearms. These matters are still under investigation.

The woman who exited the garage was detained and as far as police know was not wanted or accused of anything.

Police said they were unable to release the name of the 31-year-old male who was apprehended until his court appearance Wednesday.

Cpl. James Grandy confirmed via a press release that the investigation is "ongoing."

Photo: Sebastian Kanally