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Kamloops man arrested following alleged sex assault, police chase

The suspect had just been released from jail when he allegedly twice assaulted a 25-year-old woman
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File photo, Phil McLachlan, Black Press Media.

-Kamloops This Week-

A Kamloops man is in jail after what police called a “dangerous and violent” series of incidents on Tuesday night (Oct. 6) and early Wednesday morning, including a police chase that ended on Tranquille Road in North Kamloops.

In a news release, police said they received a complaint of domestic assault on Tuesday night involving a 24-year-old man who had recently been released from jail and who failed to report to the Vision Quest treatment centre in Logan Lake, drawing a breach of conditions charge.

Kamloops RCMP Sgt. Darren Michels said the man is alleged to have assaulted a 25-year-old woman.

“He is also suspected of sexual assault, forcible confinement and uttering threats against the same victim,” Michels said. “At the time of the report, the victim was not with the suspect and police were on the lookout for him.

Michels said Mounties found the man at about 1:15 a.m. in the 1200-block of Monashee Court in Lower Sahali, where he again allegedly assaulted the same woman.

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He is alleged to have fled from police in a vehicle, driving over lawns to escape.

“In an attempt to escape, the suspect allegedly was driving dangerously on one, then two, rear rims only and drove toward responding members, who were forced to take evasive actions to avoid injury,” Michels said, noting the suspect’s vehicle finally came to a stop in the 300-block of Tranquille Road.

“Once the vehicle was immobilized, the suspect is alleged to have resisted arrest, challenging members and refusing to surrender,” Michels said, adding that the suspect allegedly threatened officers with a hatchet and was subdued with the use of a Taser.

Kamloops RCMP Staff Sgt. Mathias Van Laer said Mounties had no choice but to take the incident seriously.

“This was definitely a high-risk incident, involving a dangerous and violent offender who had no regard for public of police safety whatsoever,” he said. “Our members truly played themselves in harm’s way to protect the public in this case and I am very thankful that none of them were seriously hurt.”

Any witnesses and anyone else with information about the incidents is asked to call police at 250-828-3000.

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