More than a month after a dramatic police raid sent RCMP swarming across an Osoyoos property, the man they were looking for was arrested in Okanagan Falls.
Andrew Robert Hardenstine was arrested on April 5, in Okanagan Falls according to court records. He remains in custody.
Police had descended on a property in Osoyoos on Feb. 21, in an attempt to arrest Hardenstine on multiple warrants. While he wasn’t present, a recreational vehicle known to belong to him was searched.
The warrants were related to charges of flight from police, driving while disqualified, driving while prohibited, driving while suspended and possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
Hardenstine’s latest arrest comes with a slew of new charges.
According to court records, Hardenstine has been charged with illegally possessing a weapon or ammunition to transfer, possessing a prohibited or restricted firearm, possessing a firearm without a licence or registration, occupying a vehicle knowing a firearm is present, possessing a firearm while prohibited, willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer, disarming a peace officer and assaulting a peace officer.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. James Grandy confirmed the arrest and that Hardenstine is currently in custody after a request for comment on the circumstances of the arrest.
The February search for Hardenstine involved officers from every South Okanagan detachment, as well as Highway Patrol and the Southeast District’s Emergency Response Team.
RCMP then issued a warning to the public and a plea to Hardesntine to surrender himself for the safety of all.
Hardenstine has a lengthy record including breaking federal parole conditions, as well as arrests in 2013 and 2018 in the South Okanagan on drugs and firearms charges.
In 2013, he already had 57 previous criminal convictions. He received a three-year jail sentence in that case after the trial suffered delays when his initial defence lawyer asked to be taken off the case following Hardenstine’s interruptions of the judge.
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In 2018, he was arrested with a small arsenal of firearms, including multiple pistols, a home-made style shotgun, a crossbow and numerous rounds of ammunition in addition to drugs.
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Hardenstine’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 17 for a Judicial Interim Release hearing in Kelowna.