'Horrifying': Keremeos village office still closed after attack by man armed with sledgehammer, knife

Staff at the Village of Keremeos office had no warning leading up to a terrifying incident involving a man armed with a sledgehammer and a knife this week.

“It’s horrifying,” acting mayor and village councillor Jason Wiebe said. He wasn't at the office during the incident on Monday, Jan. 24.

“I’ll be 45 this year and it’s such a breach of public safety. And in such an unexpected way – we’re usually aware when someone’s agitated or not OK – but this was sudden without warning.”

Staffers at the office were threatened and assaulted by a man brandishing a sledge hammer and a knife. Staff Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck said injuries sustained were “relatively minor” and required no immediate care, though some victims were encouraged to go to the hospital. The sledgehammer and knife were not used in any of the assault.

Keremeos council intends to issue a full response to the incident, Wiebe said, but not until the mayor has returned and more information has been gathered.

“This week we’ll focus on what we can do and what needs to happen. Once the mayor is back we can sit down as council," he said.

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Wiebe wouldn’t share many details about the incident, but said it was “serious enough that we’re focusing our responsibility as a council to make sure village staff are taken care of.”

The village office has been closed since Monday however municipal services are still available, Wiebe said, adding that there is no timeframe for when the office will reopen except that it won’t be this week.

The person who was arrested after allegedly brandishing a sledgehammer and knife in the village office was

Cameron Edward Jake Urquhart, born 1979, was arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

He is facing 14 charges including three counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of assault causing bodily harm, and a single charge each of assault and assaulting peace officer. He was also charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, mischief, two counts of robbery, wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer, possessing weapon for dangerous purpose and forcible entry.

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Urquhart has been charged with numerous other crimes in B.C. going back over a decade, according to court documents, from trafficking and assaulting a peace officer to impaired driving. 

He was kept in custody after his first court appearance yesterday, Jan. 25, and has a bail hearing scheduled for Jan. 28.

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