A Maple Ridge woman who pepper sprayed an RCMP officer last summer near Revelstoke has pleaded guilty.

Samantha Lorraine Almond, now 27, was sentenced on Dec. 9 to a six-month conditional sentence order and 12-months of probation with conditions. Almond pleaded guilty to one count of assault of a peace officer with a weapon, and one count of possession of stolen property under $5,000.

The criminal charges stemmed from a June 7 incident near Revelstoke, on the Trans-Canada Highway, when police stopped a GMC Tracker towing an enclosed utility trailer for a Motor Vehicle Act violation.

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鈥淒uring the course of what started as a routine traffic stop, the driver deployed pepper spray at the police officer, while the officer interacted with the woman at her driver鈥檚 side window,鈥� said police spokesperson Cpl. Jesse O鈥橠onaghey, at the time. 鈥淲hile our officer was dealing with the temporarily disabling effects of the pepper spray, a male passenger exited the vehicle and the suspect fled the area eastbound along the highway.鈥�

The officer was treated on scene by paramedics. The male passenger was a hitch hiker who had been picked up by Almond.

Almond was located a few kilometers from the scene, hiding in the trailer and distraught. A search of her vehicle revealed a loaded crossbow, pepper spray and a knife.

鈥淭his shocking situation highlights the inherent dangers that frontline police officers face each and every day they go to work,鈥� said Staff Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky, Revelstoke RCMP detachment commander.

鈥淭his officer remained focused on her duty to protect and serve the public by continuing her investigation and relaying important details to other officers in order to safely apprehend the woman who posed a potential risk to herself and others.鈥�

ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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