POLICE – Two police vehicles smashed, officer injured in ‘dangerous’ chase

A suspect is in custody, two police vehicles are damaged, and an officer is recovering following a property crime report that spread into several communities and ended in Kamloops this morning.

On Sept. 8, 2023, around 3 a.m., a Kamloops RCMP officer was conducting proactive patrols when he observed a suspect vehicle related to a flight from police and theft report received just hours before.

The same vehicle, a reddish-brown Ford 350 pickup truck, had been reported stolen out of Sicamous on Sept. 2, and was also associated with a theft in Clearwater on Sept. 6, as well as in Williams Lake and 94 Mile on Sept. 7, before it fled from police in 100 Mile House around 9:50 p.m.

“Recognizing a suspect vehicle involved in multi-jurisdictional crime events was now in Kamloops, frontline officers knew the importance of stopping the offender and attempted to do so at Salish and Shuswap roads, but it once again fled, placing police and the public at risk,” said Supt. Jeff Pelley.

Police attempted to stop the truck with a successful spike-belt deployment on the Halston Connector, but it continued onto Batchelor Heights Drive, where it allegedly proceeded to ram a police vehicle. It was involved in a collision with a second police vehicle, then fled on Lac Du Bois Road.

With the assistance of the Police Dog Service Unit, the driver was arrested soon after and was held in custody as part of the investigation.

“This was a very dangerous situation involving an offender known to police, that occurred throughout several communities and ended with an officer injured and two police vehicles out of commission,” said Pelley.

“Thankfully, the officer was assessed by paramedics for injuries believed to be minor, and no one else was seriously injured in any of these events.”

An Okanagan man in his 20s is being held for a bail hearing on recommended offences related to assaulting a police officer with a weapon, dangerous operation of a vehicle, flight from police, possession of stolen property, among others.

He is scheduled to appear in court later today.