A man with 49 criminal convictions on his record is back in custody after allegedly injuring a Penticton RCMP officer and possessing drugs.
Jonathan Michael Orgill was pulled over on Jan. 5 by Penticton RCMP Drug Task Force officers in a parking lot of a store on Main Street in relation to a heroin trafficking investigation.
“While attempting to arrest the male driver and female passenger, the vehicle sped off in a dangerous manner, knocking one of the plainclothes officers to the ground,” said Cpl. Brad Myhre. “The vehicle then departed at an extremely high rate of speed towards Highway 97. The officers declined to pursue it any further to avoid any further danger to the public.”
Myhre said the officer suffered minor injuries and RCMP were able to determine both of the occupants’ identities in the vehicle.
It was almost two weeks later, on Jan. 23, when officers located the alleged driver involved on Allison Street in Penticton and arrested him without incident for various driving offences.
“Upon searching the male in Penticton RCMP cells, the male was found to be concealing quantities of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine on his person,” said Myhre.
Orgill was remanded into custody. The 30-year-old now faces charges of dangerous driving, causing a police pursuit, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of heroin and possession of cocaine. Orgill also had a warrant for his arrest in Calgary.