Suspect ‘demanded’ to see village mayor
Terrifying new details have emerged surrounding a violent incident earlier this year at the Keremeos municipal office — including a possible connection to a break-in there just two days prior.
Cameron Edward Jake Urquhart is facing 14 charges — including three counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of assault causing bodily harm — related to the incident Jan. 24.
He has yet to enter pleas and remains behind bars pending completion of a psychological assessment that will determine if he’s fit to stand trial.
Town officials have said little about the incident, citing the ongoing police investigation, while the police have only revealed publicly that Urquhart allegedly arrived at the office on the day in question armed with a knife and sledgehammer, then proceeded to damage the building and threaten and assault staff.
He was arrested outside afterwards following a struggle with police.
But in a document retrieved by The Herald from the Penticton courthouse, police said Urquhart arrived that morning and “demanded” to see Mayor Manfred Bauer before he “began smashing items with a sledgehammer.”
Police also suspect Urquhart was responsible for an unusual breakin at the office following the close of business on Jan. 22 – just two days before the main event.
“Upon arrival, police determined that the suspect had gained entry, destroyed the front counter area and broken Plexiglas barriers,” wrote Keremeos RCMP Const. Zachary Plensky of the earlier incident in a subsequent application for a warrant to seize Urquhart’s boots.
“Front desk area was smashed and the desk appeared to be broken…. Nothing inside appeared to be rifled through or missing. The point-of-sale machine, computer and other electronic items were still present.”
Plensky wanted to seize Urquhart’s boots, which at the time were stored in an evidence locker at the Penticton RCMP detachment, to compare the treads to a boot print found on a piece of Plexiglas that was knocked down during the Jan. 22 break-in.
While the boots – black Freedom Soldier brand, size 11 – were indeed seized by Plensky on Feb. 11, according to the court document, it’s unclear if they were a match for the print and Urquhart hadn’t been charged with the break-in as of Thursday.
Marg Coulsen, chief administrative officer for the Village of Keremeos, declined Thursday to outline what, if any, safety measures the local government implemented to protect staff after the initial break-in.
“The village confirms that security features were upgraded at the village office as repairs were made following the police incident. As this is a police matter, we are unable to comment further,” wrote Coulsen in an email.
The village announced in April the office had just recently reopened with added safety features, including a buzzer to let in visitors and new glass to physically separate the public from staff.