From Kelowna RCMP:

Charges have now been laid against the 30-year-old Calgary man who allegedly assaulted a toddler Sunday afternoon in Kelowna’s Kerry Park.

On April 28, 2019 at 2:27 p.m., Kelowna RCMP converged on waterfront Kerry Park for reports of an assault and a disturbance at that location. Witnesses at the scene told police that a male allegedly grabbed onto a small child in it’s mother’s care.

The suspect then left the child, removed his clothing and tried to evade arrest by swimming in Okanagan lake.

The BC Prosecution Service has approved criminal charges of assault and willfully resist or obstruct a police officer against 30-year-old Harold Giffen Nyren of Calgary Alberta.

Nyren played in the Western Hockey League from 2006-10 with Moose Jaw, Calgary, and Kamloops, and played for the Lacombe Generals during the 2018-19 season, but he did not finish the season with the Generals, nor did he play in the Allan Cup tournament, leaving the team in January for undisclosed reasons.

Captain of the Generals Brennan Evans says him and his teammates were shocked when they first heard the report, as they remember him as a positive and easy going individual. 

"He was moving around a bit, and he kind of got hurt when he was playing with us, so then he wasn't playing. So obviously that's hard to not be able to play, because he loved hockey and loved to play and loved being around the guys all the time. But anywhere past that, I don't think anybody had any idea he had any issues going on or any kind of struggle." 

Evans says they heard from him recently, and all seemed normal with their former teammate. 

"He wrote a couple emails to the guys, cause we kind of got a big email chain, and he wrote a couple of inspirational emails to us, wishing us good luck in the tournament, just kind of being a good teammate. I don't think anybody had any idea that he was kind of struggling...all I know is what I've seen in the paper of what happened, and I think there is more to it."

Brennan says they haven't heard from Nyren since the incident, but they are concerned for his well-being.

Nyren has been remanded into custody and is expected to appear in courts next on Tuesday, April 30.

We will provide you with more information on this story as it becomes available.