It wasn’t exactly the way an off-duty Salmon Arm RCMP officer planned to spend his day off in the North Okanagan.
The sharp observations of the officer while he was in the Armstrong area Monday led to the dramatic arrest of a wanted prolific offender.
Just after 8 a.m., the police officer recognized a prolific property offender from Salmon Arm on Hullcar Road in the Township of Spallumcheen.
“The officer was aware that the man had several outstanding warrants for his arrest, and was known to police as violent and to be a flight risk,” said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk in a release.
The off-duty officer called in the sighting and on the arrival of an on-duty officer, contact was made with the suspect who immediately fled into the bush to evade arrest.
It was alleged that the man also dropped a firearm as he fled.
Several RCMP police service dog units, air services and officers from the Vernon-North Okanagan and Salmon Arm detachments converged to contain the area to be searched.
Members with the Southeast District emergency response team attended and provided support to the police dog units.
“Extensive searches were conducted throughout the morning in the rural area that the suspect was believed to be hiding in,” said Moskaluk.
At approximately 12:45 p.m., the man was located hiding under a log in a creek bed and was taken into custody. He was transported to the Salmon Arm detachment where his warrants originated.
The man faces the possibility of multiple new charges.