A whirlwind police chase ended with a man being arrested near Kamloops, facing charges including forcible confinement of a woman who was in the vehicle with him as he fled from police.
A large police presence was assembled after the Tk’emlúpsRural RCMP detachment received multiple abandoned 911 calls from a cellphone around 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30. The woman calling could be heard whispering for help. Police investigators believed that the woman had been forcibly confined in a vehicle.
Fortunately, police were able to rescue the woman.
“This situation was presented as extremely high-risk for the woman inside the vehicle,” said Supt. Jeff Pelley, Kamloops RCMP Detachment’s Officer in Charge, in a media release Friday. “When the truck was located and failed to stop for officers, a police pursuit was authorized due to the concern for the woman’s life and safety. The response ended successfully with the victim being rescued, the suspect taken into custody, and no injuries received to any of the parties or police officers involved.”
Multiple officers from the Kamloops rural and city detachments, as well as the Southeast District Emergency Response Team, helped locate and stop the vehicle as it fled through Kamloops towards Chase, then back to Kamloops. Police used a number of tactics, including spike belts, to disable the truck, which finally came to arrest near Grand Boulevard and Highway 1 in Valleyview.
The rescue was hard-earned: two police vehicles were damaged during the response, as well as a civilian vehicle and light controls at an intersection.
The suspect is being held for a bail hearing with police recommending charges of forcible confinement, breach of release order, flight from police, dangerous and prohibitive driving and possession of a stolen vehicle.
“This was a great coordinated effort and an exceptional resolution to a high-risk incident that spanned across our city and rural coverage areas, and was supported by local and district RCMP resources,” added Supt. Pelley.
Kamloops RCMP, the Serious Crimes Unit, the General Investigation Support Team, Forensic Identification Services and the Crime Reduction Unit are all assisting with the ongoing investigation, which involved multi-jurisdictional offences throughout Kamloops and rural areas.
Anyone who was a witness, has video or information about the incident is asked to contact the Tk’emlúpsRural RCMP Detachment at 250-314-1800 and reference file 2023-42397.
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