Merritt/Fort St. John – A Fort St. John man has now been charged in relation to a police involved shooting that occurred in Merritt earlier this week.
On June 6, RCMP officers in Merritt attempted to stop a truck that had allegedly failed to stop for police earlier the same day and had been involved in a theft in Lytton the previous day.
Attempts to stop the truck were unsuccessful and shots were exchanged between police and the occupants. (To read the entire news release visit the Merritt RCMP website).
On June 7, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges against 46-year-old Gerald Cooper of Fort St. John. Cooper has been charged with five counts of attempted murder with a firearm and one count of flight from police. He is expected to appear next in a Kamloops Provincial court on June 9, 2021.
Given police actions are subject to independent investigation by the Independent Investigations Office of BC and this matter is now before the court, no further information will be released by police,
states S/Sgt. Janelle Shoihet of the BC RCMP.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC is investigating the officer-involved shooting in Merritt.The IIO is asking any person with relevant information of the incident to please contact the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
Anyone who may have been a witness to this incident, or has dash cam or other video and has not already spoken with police, we ask that you contact the Merritt RCMP at cite file 2021-2399.
