BURST
A man has been shot during a standoff with police in the West Kootenay.
According to B.C. RCMP spokesperson Staff Sgt. Kris Clark, the RCMP southeast district’s emergency response team and Creston RCMP officers went to a property in rural Salmo on Sept. 3 to execute a search warrant.
Clark said that when police arrived at the property on Ski Hill Road, they encountered a man who fled into a travel trailer after being advised he was under arrest.
“Over the course of the morning, several de-escalation measures were employed in an effort to have the individual exit,” Clark said.
“However, those efforts were unsuccessful. At one point, an officer observed the man at the entrance of the trailer appearing to hold a weapon. As a result, the officer discharged their firearm.
“The man retreated back into the trailer before eventually exiting and being taken into custody without further incident nearly an hour later.”
Clark said that upon exiting, the man received immediate medical care from officers, before being transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. He was later taken by air ambulance to another hospital.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C., which is investigating the incident, has put out a call for anyone who has video related to the officer-involved shooting.