A 48-year-old Burton man is facing charges of smashing his way into the Royal Theatre in downtown Trail.
RCMP say just before 3 a.m. Saturday they responded to a report of a man smashing through the glass front door. He’s accused of causing “considerable damage” by trying to break into an ATM and two cash registers with a piece of wood.
Arriving officers challenged the man, who was still inside and holding what they say appeared to be a homemade spear. He tried to run away, but officers chased after him and arrested him after a short scuffle.
He was taken into custody briefly before being released on conditions pending a court appearance.
“I commend the quick action, bravery, and cool heads of our officers who responded,” Sgt. Mike Wicentowich said in a news release. “These officers put themselves at risk to arrest this man and maintain public safety.
“It has been extremely difficult to find a solution to managing people who cause repeated police involved incidents in our downtown core and are without resources to return their own community.”
In a Facebook post, the Royal said it closed Saturday and Sunday while it assessed the damage and provided mental health supports to staff. The theatre re-opened on Monday.
“This has already been a horrific week for a small business owner,” theatre management wrote, noting that earlier in the week a man who posed as a phony doctor at the hospital climbed on to their roof and then fell off after being electrocuted.
