Court acquits Grand Forks man in Beaver Valley Arena assault case

Judge Rob Brown found Holbrook not guilty on Wednesday

Court acquits Grand Forks man in Beaver Valley Arena assault case Published 10:54 am Thursday, July 16, 2026 A Grand Forks man has been found not guilty of aggravated assault in connection with an altercation at the Beaver Valley Arena during a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoff game in 2025. Provincial court Judge Rob Brown acquitted Glenn Holbrook on Wednesday, July 15, in Rossland Provincial Court following a trial that began in March and continued over several hearing dates.

Holbrook, who was 57 at the time of the alleged offence, had faced one count of aggravated assault stemming from an incident during the final game of the Beaver Valley Nitehawks’ second-round playoff series against the Grand Forks Border Bruins on March 19, 2025. Crown counsel alleged that a 47-year-old Fruitvale man confronted Holbrook near the end of the game over the use of an air horn. The Crown alleged the altercation escalated near a staircase inside the arena, where the complainant said he was pushed down a flight of stairs.

According to Trail and Greater District RCMP, the confrontation began as a verbal dispute between two spectators during the third period before allegedly turning physical. The incident prompted a police investigation after it was reported the day following the game. Police said the Fruitvale man sustained serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to hospital.

RCMP later released security camera images in an effort to identify a person of interest before Holbrook turned himself in at the Trail RCMP detachment. He was arrested on April 8, 2025, and later appeared in Rossland Provincial Court on the aggravated assault charge. The case also prompted broader discussion about spectator conduct at local sporting events.

In the months following the incident, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary examined whether noisemakers, including air horns, should be prohibited at Beaver Valley Arena and other district-operated recreation facilities. Earlier this year, RDKB manager of facilities and recreation Mark Daines told the Trail Times that no formal ban had been implemented and that the regional district was continuing to research the matter.