Kamloops RCMP lead a suspect into a police cruiser at the Canada’s Best Value Inn (formerly Acadian Motor Inn) in downtown Kamloops on Oct. 4, 2021. (Photo via Colton Davies)
UPDATE: 4:45 p.m.
Kamloops RCMP say one man was arrested after a standoff at the Canada’s Best Value Inn – formerly the Acadian Motor Inn – this morning.
Spokesperson Cpl. Dana Napier says Tristan Fernandez, 25, was taken into custody just after 11:30 a.m. with the help of a police service dog. She says Fernandez was wanted in connection with a robbery at the nearby Lordco store back on August 3.
“I don’t have any more details that I can release relating to the suspect. What I can say is that he is in custody and he was arrested on an unendorsed warrant and will be going before the courts,” RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Dana Napier said, just after 12 noon.
Earlier in the day, she told media that police swarmed the motel at 1390 Columbia Street after an officer spotted a man who had a warrant out for his arrest.
“Police came into the area and we [had] a perimeter set up to contain the area to effect an arrest,” Napier said, noting that the man arrested was the same one who was spotted by police.
“As the suspect is known to police, based on our risk assessment conducted, you see this strong police presence that we have here today.”
That police presence has since been downgraded, though Napier says officers may still be in the area continuing their investigation. There were no injuries reported in the area around the Canada’s Best Value Inn.
“Kamloops RCMP would like to thank the public for their cooperation in keeping clear of the area to allow frontline members to conduct their investigation,” she said.
NL’s Colton Davies, who was at the scene, spotted a second person who was also arrested and escorted out of the other end of Canada’s Best Value Inn, though police didn’t have details about that arrest.
Photos from the scene on Monday morning showed police officers with their carbine rifles drawn. Officers reportedly began arriving around 9:20 a.m., according to witnesses, with police warning of some temporary impacts of traffic in the area.
Taylor works inside the restaurant attached to the motel and told NL News they were told to leave the building around 9:45 a.m., about 30 seconds after they were told to lock down the building.
“We’ve been here for about two hours now. Just waiting. Its been a little weird because they are not telling us anything,” she said around 11:40 a.m., noting some other people and restaurant patrons were not able to leave as their vehicles were blocked in the parking lot.
A short distance away, in Valleyview, officers were also at scene at Motel 6 on the East Trans-Canada Highway with a heavy police presence, though it is not clear if the two incidents are connected.
Police say there was an “incident” but haven’t said what yet, although they said there was no risk to the general public.
More information is expected to be released later on Tuesday about that incident.
– With files from Colton Davies
A second person has also been arrested and escorted out of the other end of the motel. Person was wearing a black hoodie and just being loaded into the cruiser straight ahead as this was taken. At 11:55am. @RadioNLNews pic.twitter.com/Fk5PKLE5vk
— Colton Davies (@ColtonDavies_) October 4, 2021
#Kamloops pic.twitter.com/54HcveaNIj
— Jamie Rye (@tayho1977) October 4, 2021
#Kamloops pic.twitter.com/CnD2H7e813
— Jamie Rye (@tayho1977) October 4, 2021
