A man is in custody and is facing several criminal charges after allegedly pistol-whipping the staff member of a downtown Vernon business.
A business in the 3400 block of 30th Avenue in Vernon was the site of an alleged robbery on Saturday at around 3 p.m.
“Police were called to the location after a physical confrontation had taken place between a man trying to leave the store with unpaid merchandise and a staff member who tried to stop him,” RCMP said in a press release.
“At one point during the altercation, the suspect allegedly struck the employee with what was later confirmed to be an airsoft pistol. Staff were able to hold the suspect until the responding officers arrived and took him into custody.”
A 37-year old man has been charged with failing to comply with a court order and several weapons-related offences.
He was remanded in custody until his next scheduled court appearance on Wednesday.