Busy long weekend for Penticton police

PENTICTON – Although no serious incidents were reported, Penticton RCMP nonetheless had a busy long weekend.

Penticton RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says the detachment received 153 calls for service between Friday, May 20 and Monday, May 23.

Wrigglesworth reports many of the city’s bars were full Friday night and, as you might expect, a number of intoxicated persons occupied the detachment’s jail cells overnight.

Other activities include:

  • Police attended a campsite on Fish Lake Road to break up a campers’ fight on Saturday, May 21.
  • A Dodge pickup, stolen out of Grande Cache, was also recovered Saturday.
  • Police attended four motor vehicle collisions and several mischief calls.
  • On Sunday afternoon, police responded to the Green Mountain Road bridge on the Okanagan River Channel for reports of a possible drowning. Approximately 70 people had tied 20 floaties together and were drifting down the channel when the flotilla hit the bridge pillars and became entangled. Eventually all participants were accounted for.
  • A fight broke out at the beach fire pit at Power Street and Lakeshore Drive on Sunday night. Numerous people reported being hit by bear spray, but declined assistance while one man was taken to hospital to be treated for extreme intoxication.
  • Police and firefighters responded to a pine tree ablaze behind Penticton Walmart on Monday afternoon at approximately 5:15 p.m. Two men were observed in the vicinity on surveillance video. The fire is being treated as suspicious and is under investigation.

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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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