Vernon man who threatened to kill cops, soup kitchen staff gets jail time

A North Okanagan man previously found in contempt of court for swearing at the judge has been released from jail having pleaded guilty to threatening staff at a soup kitchen and telling police officers he was going to kill them.

According to a recently published June 25 BC Provincial Court decision, the incident dates back to December 2024 when Khalen Mackenzie Bonneau arrived at the Upper Room Mission at 10 p.m. and asked for a coffee.

When a staff member told him coffee was done for the night, he threatened to beat her up.

“Other employees were called, he threatened to beat them up, and he laid into everybody verbally by way of name calling, racial slurs and other bad words,” BC Provincial Judge David Patterson said in the decision.

Things didn’t improve after staff called the RCMP.

“When the police officers showed up, Mr. Bonneau provided the police officers with a false name. He was then subject to an arrest. He did not enjoy being arrested, so he began kicking,” the judge said.

Police then found he had a knife.

“Mr. Bonneau was taken into custody, and during the time he was taken into custody, he threatened harm to the various police officers, threatened to kill some of the police officers, and started spitting at the police officers. A spit hood was put over his head to enable his arrest to go a little more smoothly,” the judge said. “That said, once Mr. Bonneau was placed into the police vehicle, he kicked the bars inside the police vehicle, continued yelling insults, swear words and so on, and once back at the detachment, kicked Const. Braun in the leg.”

Five months later, after being released on bail he was spotted on the Okanagan Indian Band carrying a soft firearm case. 

The police were called he was found to have two rifles on him.

“Now, unfortunately for Mr. Bonneau, he was not the possessor of a firearms licence and so he was not legally allowed to possess either of the two firearms,” the Judge said.

He was also found to have brass knuckles, as well as three knives, a machete and a hatchet on him.

“Mr. Bonneau is a 36-year-old Indigenous man… who has been struggling with some mental health issues and has found himself, contrary to his desire, in custody,” Judge Patterson said.

Bonneau had spent nearly four months in jail, and Judge Patterson handed down a sentence of 30 days jail, meaning he was released that day.

He was also put on 12 months’ probation and prohibited from stepping foot on the Okanagan Indian Band reserve.

Bonneau agreed to an array of conditions, but added he owned land on the Okanagan Indian Band reserve, so he would contact them straight away.