UPDATED: Escape attempt at Nelson courthouse leads to another charge for accused armed robber
In a bizarre twist to an already strange story, the man charged with a string of armed robberies in the region tried, this morning, to escape custody and flee before his scheduled court appearance. Nelson Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Burkhart said Andrew (Zacharias) Stevenson, who was slated to appear in court to face...
UPDATED: Coroner releases name of man whose body was recovered from Kootenay Lake
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who was discovered deceased in Kootenay Lake near Nelson on Sept. 11. The man was Paul Tayes, aged 56, from Surrey. Tayes had checked into the Kokanee Creek campground on Sept. 2, for one night and was reported missing by park staff on Sept. 4, after he failed to...
Police warn about risks of fake/toy guns
When police officers respond to reports of "man with a gun’, split second decisions need to be made. Unfortunately, these incidents regularly involve someone with their latest air gun (BB gun, pellet gun, airsoft gun) or replica, not realizing the risks associated with openly carrying or displaying these replicas in public ...
Coroners Service identifies man killed near Kootenay Pass summit
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died after a motor vehicle incident near Kootenay Pass summit east of Salmo (Friday) August 29 as William Richard Wells, aged 57, of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Wells was the operator of a westbound motorcycle which went out of control and entered a ditch […]
Suspicious fire causes roughly $10,000 damage
Police are investigating a suspicious fire found in the Toyota parking lot Friday evening. Deputy fire chief Sam Lattanzio, who was first on scene, said the call came in at about 10:12 p.m., advising authorities there was what appeared to be a brush or dumpster fire. "There was a brush fire in the northwest corner of the lot,...
Man arrested in Surrey after 9-year-old sexually assaulted
Surrey RCMP has arrested a 23-year-old Surrey man following the sexual assault of a nine year old girl on Aug. 27 (see original release). On Thursday evening, Aug. 28, officers with the Surrey RCMP’s Special Victims Unit arrested Donovan Adams (no fixed address) in the city centre area of Surrey. After an extensive and intensive...
NFD responds to early morning tree fire
Nelson's police and fire departments both responded to a tree on fire with large flames in the 1500 Block of Ward Street early Saturday (August 30) morning. Nelson Police arrived first at the call at 1515 Ward Street, extinguishing most of the fire using dry chemical extinguishers to help prevent the fire from spreading to ...
Updated: IH reports 22 passengers of bus accident south of Merritt remain in hospital
Interior Health said in a media release it continues to provide treatment for individuals injured in the Thursday (August 28) tour bus accident on the Coquihalla Highway 30 kilometers south of Vernon. IH officials said 43 patients originally transported to Interior Health hospitals, 22 remain in hospital. Of these, eight ...
Police lock down Nanaimo hospital
A lockdown at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital today ended without incident, according to RCMP Sgt. Sheryl Armstrong. “On Aug. 26, at approximately 5:10 p.m., Nanaimo Regional General Hospital called the Nanaimo RCMP to report they had received a threat against the hospital and they believed there may be some credibility...
This year's Shambhala a mixed bag, from a policing perspective
Shambhala Festival ended well in terms of crashes and accidents, but there were many arrests, according to West Kootenay TRaffic Services Sgt. John Ferguson. "The West Kootenay Traffic Services and Nelson IRSU are pleased to announce that during the week long Shambhala Festival no reported fatal or serious crashes occurred...
