FILE PHOTO

(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

A 60-year-old Kamloops woman is afraid for her safety after her attacker was arrested and released yesterday afternoon.

She was knocked to the ground and spit on in a Safeway parking lot after a road rage incident quickly escalated to an assault yesterday, May 1.

"I'm so sore I can barely move," she said. "I just had open stomach surgery in January and had ten days in hospital to recover. I'm still in recovery. He didn't know that, but I did."

iNFOnews.ca is not naming the woman as she's concerned for her safety following her assailant's release.

"He was pretty threatening... he didn't make no bones about it," she said. "I think if he had a chance, he'd do it all over again."

It started with a road rage incident while she was driving through a construction zone on Fortune Drive. She had just left a dentist appointment downtown and headed to Safeway for some groceries.

While driving through the 30 km/h construction zone, a man was driving aggressively behind her, clearly frustrated at her speed, but he sped off as they exited the zone.

"I said OK, it's over. I carried on and went to Safeway," she said. "When I got out, I could hear him screaming and he came running to me, ranting, raving and yelling. I was standing up for myself telling him to back off and he didn't back off."

That's when he started hitting her, knocking her to the ground. He hit her again while she was down.

"Now I can barely walk, but he spit in my face. I think that's excessive," she said.

Bystander Wayne Burgher, along with his wife Tammy, watched the incident unfold, turning toward the assault when they heard the woman scream in fear.

"I yelled at him after he shoved her to the ground and kicked her," Burgher said. "My first priority was is she OK? Well, she was not OK. She was on the ground crying. There was blood and she was scared."

Burgher's wife stayed with the victim — who happened to also be a childhood friend — and called 9-1-1. Burgher then decided to follow the assailant to ensure he didn't flee.

Burgher insisted he would not resort to violence, but made sure to keep his eyes on the man as he walked to a nearby cannabis store then toward a bank. The suspect, however, told cannabis store employees Burgher was harassing him and might attack him.

In a matter of minutes, Kamloops RCMP showed up and took the man into custody at the bank and Burgher gave his statement to officers.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and the suspect was released with conditions. Police expect to recommend charges "as part of the assessment and approval process," a statement from Kamloops RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Crystal Evelyn read.

The victim said she was initially hesitant to speak out about the attack, but the suspect's release encouraged her to tell her story. It also leaves her afraid for retaliation.

"I'm tired of being silent," she said. "I was just going to the store, just doing my business."

She claimed the suspect has a "lengthy" criminal record and has no driver's license. Police have not released the suspect's name so that can't be verified with court records.

She was grateful for Burgher's wife Tammy, who was a familiar face who comforted her while injured in the parking lot. She's also thankful for the Safeway staff who brought blankets and a first aid kit before paramedics arrived to take her to hospital.

"It was really incredible that they came out there," she said.

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