Kelowna man’s road rage leads to criminal charges

KELOWNA –  A joint effort between the Kelowna RCMP Street Enforcement Unit and the RCMP Southeast District Emergency Response Team was required to apprehend a local man, now accused of crimes related to incidents in the Central Okanagan.

On Jan. 22 at 8:16 a.m., Kelowna RCMP responded to a report of a road rage incident that involved the report of an alleged assault with pepper spray, a media release says. That motorist and his passenger, who locked their doors and rolled up their windows, managed to escape with minor injuries only related to the slight exposure to the chemical spray.

The following day, Jan. 23 Kelowna RCMP plain clothes officers sought the added support of the Southeast District Emergency Response Team to effect the arrest of the suspect, who was taken into police custody outside a financial institution located in the 2100 block of Harvey Avenue.

John Michael Aronson, 30, from Kelowna, has now been formally charged with seven counts, including assault, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police and drive while disqualified. Aronson has been remanded into custody awaiting his first court appearance.

The Kelowna RCMP investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with any information, photos, or video about incidents which occurred prior to Jan. 23 are encouraged to contact police.

The police watchdog of B.C. is continuing their investigation to determine whether police actions or inactions are linked to the man’s injuries that occurred during the arrest.

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