A massive police response at the Cheam First Nation, including more than two dozen RCMP and ERT vehicles, ended up being a “non-event,” Agassiz RCMP Sgt. Mike Sargent said.
Around 3 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 22), vehicles from the Agassiz RCMP and Emergency Response Team had blocked off Alexis Crescent on the Cheam First Nation. Many unmarked vehicles lined West Victor Drive leading up to the road, and police tape blocked off the entrance.
At the time, Sargent could share few details about the incident, saying police are “taking every precaution” to ensure the safety of the people on the reserve while police were on scene.
Dozens of police cars and an ERT vehicle have blocked off Alexis Drive on the Cheam Reserve. pic.twitter.com/BLRqQ2mRyx
— Grace Kennedy (@gracekenn) August 22, 2019
One Black Press Media freelancer on the scene said people near the incident said police were looking for two men.
Video: Shane MacKichan
Sargent confirmed later Thursday evening that police were looking for a fugitive they believed to be on the reserve.
“We were looking for a known fugitive with outstanding warrants, who wasn’t at the residence in question” he explained.
That fugitive was Ian Mountain, who the Agassiz RCMP have been looking for since July.
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Mountain, 33, is wanted for possession of property obtained by crime, possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon with ammunition, driving while prohibited, and failure to comply with recognizance. He has an extensive criminal record.
“He frequents this area, so we’re always going to end up dealing with him,” Sargent said. “His history started well before I got here, so until he’s caught and put in jail, then we’ll have similar incidents unfortunately.”
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