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Domestic violence leads to arrest of male
Elk Valley RCMP April 17 arrested a man after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend twice in less than a month.
On March 19, shortly after 3:30 a.m., an anxious female called police at a Sparwood hotel as she had been assaulted and choked by her boyfriend. A responding officer located the male in front of the hotel but he ignored commands and became argumentative.
When the male attempted to return to the victim in the lobby, it caused the police to be concerned for her well-being, and they deployed a conducted energy weapon and was able to safely arrest the male, reported Elk Valley RCMP Cst. Debra Katerenchuk.
The female was later treated in hospital and released. Under direction from the Criminal Code, the male was released from police custody on strict conditions including no contact with the female.
On April 17, the female called a family member who in turn called police due to another similar incident of assault and choking. The male was arrested again, taken before a judge and remains in custody to be dealt with by the courts.
The female sustained more serious injuries in the second assault and has received further medical care.
“This case highlights the challenging and conflicting emotions and dangers faced by victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) every day in Canada,” said Cst. Katerenchuk.
“The Elk Valley RCMP take IPV seriously and work with community partners like the Fernie Women’s Resource Centre and Elk Valley Safe Homes to support victims. Changes to the Criminal Code in recent years have given the police and the courts more options to protect victims and also make it harder for repeat offenders to get bail in order to get out of jail.”
If you know someone affected by IPV, there are resources available to reduce the challenges of leaving a violent relationship.
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