A 21-year-old Alberta man is facing charges after he assaulted a Kelowna RCMP officer during a traffic stop on Sunday.
Police say the man was pulled over near Hollywood Road and Highway 33 after midnight, following a report of an erratic driver swerving all over the roadway in a Ford F150 along Highway 97.
The attending officer noticed notable signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication, and while providing the driver with a demand for samples of his breath, the driver grabbed hold of and pushed past the officer before fleeing on foot.
Additional officers located the driver and he was taken into police custody.
He's facing both prohibitions and fines under the BC Motor Vehicle Act, in addition to potential criminal charges.
“We are grateful that our officer was not injured during this incident,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey in a news release. “Kelowna RCMP would also like to commend their complainant for not only recognizing the potential hazard the erratic driver posed to other motorists on the highway, but also for immediately passing that information along to police.”