Merritt man facing charges after shots fired at neighbour’s home during dispute

Merritt RCMP are investigating a weekend incident involving a dispute between neighbours that involved shots fired.

RCMP responded to a 911 call around 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9, after a resident of Kane Valley south of Merritt allegedly fired a non-restricted firearm towards a neighbouring residence during a dispute.

The Southeast District Emergency Response Team was immediately deployed to Merritt while local officers responded to the scene.

"Our local frontline officers worked quickly to tactically extract a man and a woman from the home that had been fired upon," states Sgt. Josh Roda of the Merritt RCMP in a media release. "The pair were unable to safely escape from the potential danger on their own."

RCMP say containment of the property was facilitated with the assistance of Central Interior Traffic Services and Kamloops RCMP Integrated Road Safety Unit, both part of B.C. RCMP Traffic Services.

A 44-year-old Merritt man was taken into custody around 2 a.m. by the Southeast District Emergency Response Team without incident.

A search of the suspect’s residence turned up a shot gun, which was seized.

Christopher John Skidmore has been charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, careless use or storage of a firearm and unlawfully discharging a firearm.

Anyone who might have witnessed the incident or who might have additional information is asked to contact the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.

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