Kelowna man smashes bank window with axe, gets arrested

A Kelowna man used an axe to smash several windows of a downtown bank this morning.

According to a Kelowna RCMP media release, the man arrived at the bank in a white Hyundai, got out of the car and then used an axe to smash several of the bank's windows at around 7:40 a.m. today, Jan. 30.

The RCMP doesn't identify the bank, but it appears to be TD Bank on the corner of Ellis Street and Leon Avenue.

RCMP say the man was "unprovoked" and "uttered threats" at the bank.

Witnesses saw the attack and call 911 giving police the vehicle's license plate number.

Police then located the male in his vehicle, parked on a dead-end street in the Ellison area of Kelowna. Police cars blocked him from leaving and with help of a police dog the man was arrested without incident.

"These type of unprovoked attacks on our local businesses are concerning to the RCMP," Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera said in the release. "Officers will continue this investigation in order to understand why he carried out this attack on the bank and then fled."

Kelowna RCMP is seeking witnesses who have yet to speak with police or that may have dash-cam recordings of the incident and urge them to call Kelowna RCMP 250-762-3300 and reference file number 2023-5368.

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