Unusual police beat files continue with "attempted murder" in Castlegar
By Kyra Hoggan
A series of truly bizarre stories released by local RCMP continues with an “attempted murder” situation Aug. 19 in Castlegar.
This, after a week of stories including one in which bears were thought to be guarding a million-dollar grow op near Christina Lake, another in Greenwood that saw a man with an explosive arsenal amassed in his home but nothing, as far as police could ascertain, to protect, and an arrest in which an alleged car thief repeatedly drove, apparently aimlessly, past on-duty officers in the middle of the night – while driving the stolen car.
Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Deb Postnikoff said last weekend saw unusually high call volumes, with police developing 64 files over the course of the four days between Wednesday and Saturday (as compared to the usual 20 or 30), and was not without its share of strangeness.
“At 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 19, Castlegar RCMP responded to a complaint of a possible attempted murder taking place on Highway 3A at the pull-out at the Brilliant Bluffs (just before Thrums),” she said. “Police received several calls from witnesses describing a distraught woman.”
She said police attended immediately, and investigation revealed it was not, in fact, an attempted murder, but rather a domestic altercation between a local common-law couple.
Witnesses described the male driver swerving in and out of oncoming traffic, and it was later revealed his dangerous driving was an attempt to stay on the road while engaged in a physical altercation with his female passenger.
The conflict escalated to the point that the vehicle’s windshield had been kicked out during the fight.
“The male fled the scene on foot, but later surrendered himself to the Castlegar RCMP detachment to provide his version of the event,” Postnikoff said. “A 24-year-old Castlegar woman is facing assault charges in connection with the incident.”
Postnikoff praised witnesses for stopping to help.
“Police are very appreciative of the assistance offered by passing motorists, who stopped and aided both the people involved and the police investigation.”
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