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Tear gas deployed in Enderby on wanted man

Large police presence in Enderby June 27 as suspect hides out in apartment
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A 36-year-old man was arrested Saturday, June 27, 2020, following a police situation in Enderby. (Mark McMahon - Contributed)

Tear gas was used in Enderby to get a man wanted by police out from hiding in an apartment building Saturday.

A large police presence was seen in Enderby as Vernon North Okanagan RCMP responded to public reports that an unwanted man had entered the Cliff Avenue building June 27, shortly after 9 p.m.

The man, who had a warrant for his arrest and is well known to police, was allegedly hiding in a particular unit of the building and failed to respond to police commands to surrender.

“Given the suspect’s known criminal history, police evacuated the apartment building to the best of their ability while they awaited the arrival of the Police Service Dog and the Emergency Response Team,” media relations officer Const. Kelly Brett said.

Const. Brett said several attempts were made to have the man surrender peacefully through de-escalation techniques, but the efforts were unsuccessful.

“The Emergency Response Team then made entry to the unit using multiple distraction devices,” Const. Brett said.

Alex Boucher, 36, was successfully taken into custody without injury on his outstanding warrant.

Boucher was later released by the court.

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Police, police dogs and the Emergency Response Unit responded to an incident in Enderby Saturday, June 27, 2020. A 36-year-old man was arrested and later released following the incident. (Mark McMahon - Contributed)


Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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