One man arrested for arson after RCMP called to keep the peace

On October 1, 2024, the Fort St John RCMP were requested to keep the peace during the removal of unwanted squatters on a private residential property in the area of 98 Street and 102 Avenue in Fort St John, BC.

Frontline officers attended and were met by two unwanted individuals and the property owner who was trying to assist them with removing themselves and their belongings from the property. During the process one of the unwanted individuals unexpectedly became erratic and aggressive breaking their own possessions and then set them on fire in the back yard.

The frontline officers on scene utilized verbal de-escalation techniques to which the individual positively responded and surrendered to police. Both individuals were arrested and removed from the property.

Fort St John Fire Service and BC Ambulance service attended and the fire was put out a short time later.

One individual was released while Trevor Olfert was held for court and is facing one charge of Arson Causing Damage to Own Property.

This was a situation where emotions ran high and the situation suddenly took a sudden turn for the worse, said Constable Chad Neustaeter, Fort St John RCMP Media Relations Officer. Fortunately, the attending officers successfully utilized their de-escalation training and were able to peacefully arrest Olfert thereby protecting the property and the immediate neighbourhood from a potentially devastating incident.

Olfert was remanded into police custody until October 2, 2024 and then released by the courts on a Release Order to reattend court on October 7, 2024.