Kelowna police say a man remains in police custody and faces several potential charges after the vehicle he was driving collided with a marked RCMP cruiser, during an attempted traffic stop, and he fled from police early Friday morning in the city.
The incident occurred shortly after 4 a.m. say police after an officer spotted a grey Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driving with no lights on and notable damage near Spall Road and Springfield Road.
The officer followed the pickup into a parking lot and tried to stop the vehicle.That was when the the male driver suddenly reversed into the marked police cruiser and sped away in an what he RCMP are describing as “an erratic manner.”
“Our officers later spotted the same suspect vehicle being operated in a dangerous manner in Kelowna’s downtown core,” said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.
Police used a spike belt to stop the truck on Clement Avenue near Spall Avenue.
“The deployment of the tire deflating device successfully punctured all four tires, however the suspect continued driving on rims before he eventually fled from the vehicle on foot along Enterprise Way,” said O’Donaghey.
He said several officers converged on the area and chased the man on foot. The suspect was taken into police custody near Cooper Road and Enterprise Way.
Investigators found the grey Toyota pickup truck was reported stolen Dec. 1 from an address on Bird Place in Kelowna. A fully loaded shotgun and break-in tools were found inside the truck.
The 21-year-old Kelowna man of no fixed address faces several potential charges and remains in police custody at this time, said O’Donaghey
Anyone who witnessed the incident and has not yet spoken to police is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.
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