A 30-year-old man is expected to be charged with trying to punch three police officers in Trail during a prolonged chase.
RCMP say it happened last Friday afternoon when an officer spotted the man trying to break into a metal deposit box in the 1300 block of Bay Avenue.
The officer watched the screaming man kick, punch, and pull at the box and concluded he was on drugs and having mental health issues.
Police say the officer approached the man, who started screaming and swearing at him. Attempts to de-escalate the situation didn’t work, so the man was placed under arrest for causing a disturbance.
However, the man walked away, then ran, but the officer went after him and was joined by two colleagues. During the chase, the man is accused of hitting or trying to hit the trio.
They say efforts to subdue him with pepper spray didn’t work either, but eventually they were able to take him into custody.
After declining a medical assessment for any injuries, he was jailed until the next day, when he claimed to have no memory of the incident.
Police are recommending he be charged with three counts of assaulting a police officer as well as one count of causing a disturbance.
“This was a sudden, dynamic situation where all three RCMP officers acted professionally and diligently during the difficult arrest,” Sgt. Mike Wicentowich said in a news release. “I command their bravery and actions.”
Another bear break-in
Police are reporting more instances of bears breaking into homes in Trail or trying to.
Late Friday evening, they received a call about a bear trying to get into a home in the 200 block of Old Rossland Avenue, not far from a similar call earlier in the month.
Officers arrived to find the bear in a neighbouring yard eating fruit fallen from a tree. They found the caller left his lunch bag outside, attracting the bear.
The incident was reported to the BC Conservation Service who told the complainant to remove all potential food sources, like garbage, from his property.
A second incident of a bear trying to enter a home was also reported over the weekend.
146 in a 60 zone
Police say they found it “a little shocking” to clock a 21-year-old Rossland man going 146 km/h in a 60 km/h zone in the same spot where a fatal accident recently occurred.
Early Saturday, an officer spotted the man in a pick-up truck in the 3000 block of Highway 3B in Trail. He was pulled over and asked to provide a breath sample, which resulted in a fail. He received a $483 ticket for excessive speeding, had his license taken away for 90 days, and his truck impounded for up to a month.
“This incident was a little shocking given the community has recently experienced two fatal motor vehicle incidents, and one that occurred in this exact area,” Wicentowich said.