Premier David Eby has commented on a "horrific" midday fatal assault and police chase that took place in Kelowna, on July 4.
"This is horrific to imagine that this happened in the middle of the afternoon in Kelowna as it is an example of the kind of violence against women we are seeing, not just in our province, but in Canada at elevated levels since the pandemic," said Eby, at the Electronic Arts' Burnaby office on Monday, July 7, as part of a tax credit announcement for video game developers.
Kelowna resident James Plover is in custody and has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his ex-wife. Shortly after noon on July 4, police responded to reports of a two-person vehicle collision and assault with a weapon. Following a brief pursuit, officers arrested Plover and two female victims were taken to hospital.
Plover's ex-partner, Bailey Plover (n茅e McCourt), later died in hospital.
"It was horrible cases like these that resulted in the attorney general asking Dr. Kim Stanton to take a deep dive into our criminal justice system and our support for victims of domestic violence to make sure they are as best supported as possible. We got that report a few weeks ago and will ensure that we are working with Dr. Stanton on it."
The report, entitled ' was completed on June 24, 2025.
"It is such a crucial issue and I am so glad that our attorney general (Nike Sharma) was front and centre at the Council of the Federation, and was able to ensure that within the communiqu茅 that everyone signed up that intimate partner violence was included in the call for bail reform in Canada," Eby added. "We have been pressing the federal government aggressively to protect the community as a whole, and this was a tragic, timely reminder of the importance of that work, and we hope the federal government works very quickly to get that in place."
The accused, Plover, will appear in court on Thursday, July 10. He remains in custody and has been charged with second-degree murder.
A charge of second-degree murder means that the act was intentional but not premeditated and carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
