A 36-year-old Malakwa man was shot in the neck early Saturday as he tried to stop the rip-off of a marijuana grow operation.
Although the injury was considered serious, report police, it was not life-threatening.
In a news release issued Tuesday morning, Cpl. Dan Moskaluk, spokesperson for the RCMP's Southeast District, reported that the man drove himself to Vernon Jubilee Hospital about 3:30 a.m. Saturday for treatment of a single gunshot wound. There, hospital staff notified police.
"The man’s initial account of how he suffered the injury was questioned by investigators, who determined after further investigation that the individual had not disclosed that the shooting was the result of being the target of a marijuana grow operation rip off," states Moskaluk. "It was eventually learned that the man had confronted a group of suspects on his property late Friday night, early Saturday morning and was shot by one of the suspect males with a handgun. The injured man stated he was given first aid by the intruders and held captive for a short period..."
Then the intruders took off and the man drove himself to hospital.
Police say they're confident that the shot was a drug-related, targeted attack.
The investigation is ongoing by members of both Vernon and Sicamous detachments with the assistance of the Southeast District General Investigation Section.
If you have any information that may assist in this investigation, the Sicamous RCMP requests that you contact the detachment at 250-836-2878. For those wishing to provide information and remain anonymous, they're asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).