Mounties use tear gas to end five-hour standoff, arrest firearms suspect

Photo: Contributed

This photo shared by a Castanet reader shows police on scene Tuesday at an RV park in the Malakwa area.

Police say they fired tear gas into an RV near Sicamous on Tuesday to end a five-hour standoff and arrest a man wanted on firearms warrants.

According to Mounties, Sicamous RCMP officers went to a Malakwa RV park at about 10 a.m. on Tuesday to arrest a wanted man.

RCMP Sgt. Murray McNeil said the man ignored police commands and retreated into his trailer.

“Police attempted negotiations with the male to exit, however he refused to do so,” McNeil said.

“Police were concerned for the safety of both officers and the public in the RV park as one of the arrest warrants involved a firearms offence.”

McNeil said Sicamous and Salmon Arm Mounties contained the area and called in the RCMP’s emergency response team.

“At 3 p.m., approximately five hours after the standoff began, emergency response team members deployed tear gas into the RV, which successfully resulted in the male exiting,” he said.

“He was arrested without further incident.”

McNeil identified the man as Jeffrey Dean Smith, 55. He said Smith is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

According to McNeil, the incident forced several RV park residents from their homes for a period of hours.