Foot chase, fight, tree climb end in slippery suspect's arrest
The Mounties finally got their man Tuesday afternoon, but it took a foot chase, a foiled hitchhike, a police cruiser getaway, a break-in, a fight and a tree-top negotiation.
The string of events began at 5:50 p.m. MT when an officer tried to pull over a suspicious vehicle during a traffic stop near Peace River, in northwest Alberta, RCMP said in a news release Thursday.
The targeted vehicle swerved into a ditch and the driver bolted.
Officers caught up to him, sitting in a vehicle, as he was trying to convince an unsuspecting motorist to give him a lift.
But even after he was moved into the cruiser, the suspect wasn't about to go quietly.
He scrambled out of the vehicle and ran off again.
This time, a dog team was brought in, and it tracked the man to a nearby home he had broken into.
After a fight with police, the suspect broke away again.
Police eventually found him hiding in a tree.
"No innocent bystanders were injured'
The saga finally came to an end when a police negotiator convinced him to climb down, with investigators now trying to figure out how he escaped from the police car. That matter remains under review, RCMP said.
The driver who gave the suspect a ride as well as the homeowner of the break-in residence were unharmed.
"We are very happy that no innocent bystanders were injured and that our RCMP member did not suffer serious injury during this incident," said Staff Sgt. Brent Meyer of Peace Regional RCMP in a statement.
"The RCMP appreciates the assistance that we received and are pleased to successfully bring these incidents to a close."
The man faces 13 charges, including breaking and entering, attempting to disarm a police officer, assaulting a police officer and impaired driving.
The man, who was also wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant from Stony Plain, west of Edmonton, remains in custody. Calls to RCMP for further comment on the investigation have not been returned.
