Emergency Response Team deploys after shots fired South of Merritt

The RCMP in Merritt is now investigating after a man allegedly discharged a firearm during an apparent neighbour dispute Saturday evening in Kane Valley south of the Nicola Valley city.

On January 9, 2021 just before 8 p.m., Merritt RCMP responded to a 9-1-1 emergency call after a Sun Valley resident allegedly fired a non-restricted firearm towards a neighbouring residence during a dispute. The Southeast District Emergency Response Team was immediately deployed to Merritt to assist, while front line officers responded to the scene to assess the situation.

“Our local front line officers worked quickly to tactically extract a man and a woman from the home that had been fired upon,” states Sgt. Josh Roda of the Merritt RCMP. “The pair were unable to safely escape from the potential danger on their own.”

Merritt RCMP was aided in their extraction by front line officers of both Central Interior Traffic Services and the Kamloops RCMP Integrated Road Safety Unit each a part of the BC RCMP Traffic Services, who also assisted with the containment of the property.

The suspect, a 44-year-old Merritt man, was taken into custody at approximately 2 a.m. by the RCMP Southeast District Emergency Response Team without further incident. A further search of the man’s residence led to the seizure of a shot gun.

The BC Prosecution Service has approved criminal charges against Christopher Jonathan Skidmore including uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, careless use or storage of a firearm, and unlawfully discharge of a firearm.

If you witnessed this incident, or you have any additional information and have not yet spoken to police you are asked to call the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.

– Written by Michael Reeve

news@Q101.ca

On Twitter: @Q101Merritt