FILE PHOTO

(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

A driver allegedly fired shots from a vehicle as they fled from police near Falkland earlier today, before officers used a spike belt to stop the vehicle and arrested two people.

According to a Vernon North Okanagan RCMP media release a man and a woman are now in custody following the incident, which saw Highway 97 closed for several hours around 16 kilometres west of Falkland. It reopened to single-lane alternating traffic before completely reopening by nightfall.

RCMP said they received a report just before 8 a.m. Dec. 3 about a suspicious vehicle in the Falkland area.

"RCMP officers controlled access to the highway and strategically set up roadblocks in an attempt to safely stop the vehicle," Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy said in the release. "The driver failed to stop for police and allegedly fired shots from the vehicle as it fled from our officers, posing a serious risk to public safety."

Police then used a spike belt to stop the vehicle east of Westwold.

The RCMP said Westwold Elementary School was on put on lockdown as a precaution and the order had since been lifted.

An earlier report from one eyewitness said they heard up to 20 shots being fired.

The RCMP has described the incident as "dynamic" and that they are not aware of any serious injuries as a result of what transpired.

Vernon RCMP were assisted by Southeast District Emergency Response Team, the RCMP Police Dog Services and aircraft from the Kelowna Air Services.

Police urge anyone who witnessed this incident or has video footage of it is asked to contact the North Okanagan RCMP at 250-546-3028.

Image Credit: DriveBC

— This story was updated at 11:28 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, to include comments from social media.

— This story was updated at 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, to include new information from RCMP.

— This story was updated at 1:57 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, to say the highway had reopened.

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