One man faces charges following last week's police standoff on Cactus Road

Photo: Nicholas Johansen

An ERT officer outside of 1075 Cactus Road on the afternoon of Dec. 29.

A man is facing a handful of charges following last week's 10-hour police standoff on Rutland's Cactus Road.

On the morning of Dec. 29, a large number of Kelowna RCMP and Emergency Response Team officers descended on 1075 Cactus Road, surrounding the home for upwards of 10 hours.

Throughout the day, seven people from the home were arrested, while an eighth person from a neighbouring home was also taken into custody. Police executed a search warrant at about 8:30 p.m., but there was no one left in the home when police finally entered.

According to online court records, 31-year-old Michael Dennison has been charged in connection to the police incident. He faces charges of flight from police, dangerous operation of a vehicle, driving while disqualified, breach of probation order and two firearms charges.

Dennison appears to be the main person officers were looking for during the 10-hour standoff. The day after the incident, the Kelowna RCMP said the standoff began after an officer first noticed a “suspicious” SUV parked at the home, just after 9 a.m.

While the officer was watching, two people entered the SUV and drove to a nearby gas station. When the officer attempted to approach the vehicle, with his police cruiser's lights activated, the driver of the SUV fled, “swerving in and out of oncoming traffic” according to police.

Another officer located a firearm and ammunition on the side of the road in the area where the SUV had fled. Police believe it had been thrown from the window of the fleeing SUV.

Based on the charges Dennison now faces, it appears he's alleged to have been behind the wheel of the SUV when it fled from police.

Later that morning, police found the same SUV parked back at the home on Cactus Road, leading to the standoff at the home.

Const. Della-Paolera says the investigation is ongoing, and more charges could be pending. The eighth person who was also arrested during the standoff wasn't initially connected to the incident, but lived two doors down from the house in question. After the resident allegedly threatened officers who were on scene, he barricaded himself in his home, but eventually turned himself over to police.

The man, who police have not yet named, had two outstanding warrants for his arrest and he was taken into custody. Const. Della-Paolera says additional charges for the eighth man are still pending.

Dennison remains in custody, and a bail hearing is scheduled for him in Kelowna court Friday.

This isn't the first time Dennison has been involved in a high-profile takedown in Kelowna. Back in January 2017, Dennison was arrested by police at gunpoint on the William R. Bennett bridge, after he and co-accused Ryan Regan had fled from police in a stolen vehicle in Penticton.

The arrest closed the bridge for several hours, causing massive traffic delays in the area.

Dennison pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and breach of probation and was handed a six-month jail sentence in March of 2017. But with enhanced credit for time served, he was left with just 75 days to serve.

Prior to his January 2017 arrest, he had recently been released from jail after serving 102 days for theft of a vehicle and dangerous operation of vehicle. He was on probation and a driving prohibition when he was arrested in 2017.