Man eludes RCMP officer, not police dog

VERNON – You can run and hide from a police officer but it’s much harder to get away from a police dog.

A Vernon RCMP officer spotted an 18-year-old man riding a bike without a helmet on 27 Avenue Thursday morning and stopped him to have a word.

According to the officer, the man was visibly nervous when asked for his name.

“When he provided it, our officer knew right away something was not right as the same name had been provided to him by someone else a few days before,” RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says in a media release.

The officer asked for ID and the man handed over some medical documents with a different name.

As the cop took out his handcuffs to make an arrest, the suspect twisted free and took off on foot, leaving behind his bicycle and other possessions.

About an hour later, the same officer was patrolling in his cruiser when he saw the same man across the street. The two made eye contact and the suspect took off running.

It just so happened the RCMP canine unit was in the area and 10 minutes later the dog found the suspect.

The man was arrested and is facing charges of obstruction of a police officer.

He is also wanted on warrants from the Squamish and Cranbrook areas.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.