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West Kelowna  

Suspect shot by police

UPDATE: 2:25 p.m.

A man wielding garden shears was shot by police near Bear Creek Provincial Park in the early hours of Friday morning. 

Police were called to Westside Road at about 1 a.m. after receiving a report of a man who had jumped in front of a vehicle and tried to hit it with some type of object. Police found the man, wielding garden shears, and during their attempted arrest of the man, an officer shot him. 

Despite the gunshot wound, the man ran into Okanagan Lake and ended up on a nearby log boom. A very long negotiation period began, and additional officers arrived by boat. 

The man was eventually taken into custody at 7:20 a.m. Police believe the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries. 

The Independent Investigation Office of BC is investigating the police-involved shooting. The independent agency investigates any incident involving police that results in serious injury or death. 

Police have asked anyone with information about the incident to call the West Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2880.


UPDATE: 12:30 p.m.

Police appear to be focusing their investigation on a section of beach just north of the Bear Creek Provincial Park campground Friday morning. 

A section of the beach has been lined by police tape and several officers appear to be surveying the area, while searching through the brush. 

One camper who was staying near the area Thursday evening said he heard what sounded like a single gun shot in the middle of the night, but officers on scene would not provide any information on the investigation. 

Castanet has reached out to the Kelowna RCMP communications contact for information about their investigation. 


ORIGINAL: 11:40 a.m.

Police are scouring an area just outside Bear Creek Provincial Park on the west side of Okanagan Lake after an apparent shooting incident.

An area just to the north of the campground is behind police tape.

Two police cruisers are on scene, and officers are searching a field there, near the park's day-use parking area.

A camper staying at the park says he was woken late last night by noise and saw a shadowy figure who appeared to be carrying a gun near the fence line.

He then heard a command to "put the gun down," followed by a single shot.

Castanet has reached out to the RCMP for more information.



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