Inuvik man facing kidnapping charges

Hay River RCMP were called to reports of a gun being discharged at the neighbouring First Nation. (File photo/CKLB.)

**Warning: This story has details of violence**

Kelly MacKenzie Ovayuak is facing several charges related to an alleged kidnapping in Inuvik.

In a news release, Inuvik RCMP says officers responded to a call of a woman being abducted in the early morning on Saturday, April 2.

“The woman was reported to have been forcibly taken to a vehicle and driven off,” reads the release. Inuvik RCMP notified the detachments in Tuktoyaktuk and Fort McPherson of the incident.

RCMP says officers from Tuktoyaktuk identified the vehicle on the Inuvik-Tuk highway and tried to stop it, but the driver continued. Police say they chased the vehicle and called for a “tire deflation device”. Afterwards, officers arrested Ovayuak and the woman was taken to the Tuktoyaktuk health centre.

Ovayuak is facing seven charges related to the incident, including aggravated assault, kidnapping, break and enter, and impaired driving among others.

He is scheduled to appear in court Friday, April 8 in Yellowknife.

About the Author

Francis Tessier-Burns
Francis was a reporter with CKLB from January 2019 to March 2023. In his time with CKLB, he had the immense pleasure and honour of learning about northern Indigenous cultures.