Police in Merritt had to deal with a scary situation this week involving an unwelcomed patron at a local shelter Thursday afternoon.
According to police, officers were called to the shelter for an "unruly patron" who was using the safe use facility. Upon arrival, the man was unable to gain voluntary compliance, which resulted in the eviction by the shelter staff.
In an effort to resist the eviction, the man allegedly tried to poke the officer with a dirty needle. This is when the officer disarmed the patron safely and professionally.
"These are just the kinds of social issues our officers are called upon to deal with on an almost daily basis," said S/Sgt. Steph Drouin. "Situations like these are often an unnecessary drain on policing resources when they are needed elsewhere in the city."
"With Merritt ranking at the top of list for overdose deaths per 100,000 for the first four months of 2021, safe use facilities play a key role in saving lives however, appropriate security and monitoring of the sites is also crucial."
More to come.
