Mounties use Taser to subdue armed man

Vernon police say man armed with axe, hammer broke into home of senior and fought to avoid arrest

A man who broke into a house armed with an axe and hammer had to be Tasered twice by police before he could be arrested earlier this month.

Vernon RCMP responded to a report of a break and enter in progress in the 1000 block of 30 Avenue just before 5 a.m., after receiving a 911 call from the resident of the home.

The resident said someone had just broken the window of her front door and was attempting to gain access by reaching through the broken window to unlock the door from the inside.

The homeowner, an 84-year-old woman, managed to prevent the suspect from entering her home by hitting his hands with her cane.

However, the suspect was able to get the keys and gained entry to the attached garage.

Police arrived at the residence and found the suspect still in the garage.

The man, who was reportedly armed with an axe and a hammer, became combative toward the officers, said Const. Kelly Brett.

“The officers attempted to negotiate with the male to drop the weapons. However, he allegedly made it clear that he wasn’t going to jail and would do anything to prevent that,” she said. “The officers used a conducted electrical weapon in an effort to subdue the male. However, (they) had to deploy the device twice, as the male continued to fight with police.”

A 34-year-old Vernon man, Justin Inverarity, was taken into custody and has been charged with break and enter, attempted theft of a motor vehicle, mischief, assault and breach of probation.

“The actions of the man clearly could have resulted in serious injuries to himself, the victim or our officers,” said Sgt. Tory Romalier, acting operations officer. “We commend our officers for their quick response and ability to resolve a violent situation safely.”

Inverarity is scheduled to appear in court today.