Additional charges might explain the assault with a BMW in Vernon

VERNON – There appears to be more to the story after a bizarre incident in Vernon involving an assault by a vehicle and a stabbing.

According to court documents, one of the men arrested in the Wednesday, Feb. 10 incident on 27 Avenue is also facing a charge of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. He is Abd'l-Malik Loubissi-Morris, 18, the driver who police allege intentionally hit a 23-year-old woman walking on the sidewalk with his car, a BMW.

Police said Loubissi-Morris was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon but that was the only charge police announced in a Feb. 12 media release. Further inspection shows the drug trafficking charge as well as a count of dangerous operation of a vehicle. The woman was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

After the vehicle was driven off road and onto the sidewalk, police said Loubissi-Morris was stabbed by a man who was in the area. Police charged Thomas Ritchie, 29, with assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and aggravated assault. Police say Ritchie was at the scene when the woman was hit and police allege he broke the driver’s side window and stabbed Loubissi-Morris.

Calls to the Vernon RCMP for comment on the case, and the apparent drug connection, have not been returned.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.