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Columbia Valley RCMP Report
By Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck
During the past week the Columbia Valley RCMP detachment received about 55 calls for service.Ā The following is a small sample of those calls.
Deer survives highway crash
On February 24, at about 11:15 a.m., the driver of a car reported that he had struck a deer with his vehicle on Highway 93/95 just north of Juniper Heights. Although the vehicle was rendered inoperable,Ā the deer wasĀ much luckierĀ as theĀ driverĀ witnessedĀ it run offĀ into the woods. The driver parked his car on the shoulder and got a ride home from a friend.
Beer drinker driver shown some leniency
During the early morning hours of February 25, Columbia Valley RCMP members were on routine patrol in Invermere when they noted a vehicle ahead of them with no taillights illuminated. Members caught up to the vehicle and eventually confronted the driver in an effort to remind him to turn on his lights.Ā The driver displayed signs of alcohol impairment and admitted to consuming beer prior to operating his vehicle. The members insisted the driver provide samples of his breath in the roadside screening device and the driver complied.Ā As he blew a ‘fail’ and a ‘warning’ the members decided not to seize the vehicle for three days, but they could have.Ā His driverās licence was seized for three days.Ā The vehicle was towed and available for pick up by a responsible adult the next day.
Rowdy Albertan tasered
On February 25, at 10:30 p.m., Columbia Valley members were notified of a report of an argument between a young couple outside a bar in Invermere.Ā Officers immediately responded and found the couple outside and quite intoxicated.Ā As the members were speaking to the male he became very aggressive and uncooperative with the police.Ā The male was arrested for a number of reasons but in the process of the arrest the male became physical with the RCMP and actively resisted and eventually began to assault the responding RCMP members.
Because the young man was large and being violent with police one of the members utilized the taser, which was effective enough for members to restrain him in handcuffs. The Alberta resident was then taken to Invermere and District Hospital to make sure he was not injured.
He continued this aggressive behaviour with the hospital staff.Ā He was eventually assessed by a doctor who declared him healthy.Ā The male was then escorted back to the detachment and lodged in cells.Ā He was released the next day on a number of conditions while a number of charges have been recommended to the Prosecutor for follow up.
Excitable gamers mistaken as fighters
On February 26, at about 3:15 p.m., Columbia Valley RCMP received a report of a disturbance at an apartment building in Invermere. The complainant, a resident in the building, reported that it sounded like two males were fighting and, more specifically, one male can be heard hollering the “F” word over and over again.Ā Members quickly attended.Ā Once the RCMP arrived they found two males playing video games.Ā Apparently one of the roommates takes gaming very seriously and got extremely angry when the outcome of the game did not work out.Ā The members had permission to walk through the residence to make sure everyone was okay; there were no signs of any altercation just an embarrassingly high score. The males apologized for the disturbance and promised to be a little more civil while playing in the future.
