Suspect arrested in anti-vax counter-protester assault

A 52-year-old man has been arrested in connection to an alleged assault on a COVID-19 counter-protester that took place last weekend.

Vernon North Okanagan RCMP confirmed a 52-year-old man was arrested and released following the incident Oct. 1.

Korry Zepik has been counter-protesting at a weekly anti-vaxxer weekly rally at the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 6 next to Polson Park since the spring, but the situation turned violent on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Zepik said he was slammed into the pavement and punched several times by an anti-mandate protester.

He previously told iNFOnews.ca that a man with a spray paint can in his hand said he was going to deface Zepik's signs.

"He was leaning over to spray paint my sign and I pulled his arm back… and we stumbled onto the right turn lane and that's when he slammed my head into the pavement and started to punch me," he said.

An unknown woman intervened and the man ran off.

Zepik was taken to the hospital and had X-rays and a CT scan but got an all-clear from doctors.

The signs Zepik holds say such things as "COVID is not a plot" and "This rally lacks logic."

He said he gets "light pushes" towards the street from protesters and this weekend he got two more serious shoves into the road.

Someone also told him they knew where he lived.

"The tone and everything about it was a threat," he said.

Vernon RCMP said the 52-year-old is expected to appear in court at a later date, but so far no charges have been laid or recommended to Crown prosecutors as of yet.

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