Westside Road shooter ordered held indefinitely

KELOWNA – A West Kelowna man guilty of shooting at police while leading them on a high speed chase along Westside Road will be held in jail indefinitely after a judge deemed him a dangerous offender.

Michael Ellis, 42, was found not guilty of attempted murder in February but guilty of a litany of other charges including armed robbery, fleeing from police, dangerous driving and using a restricted firearm.

Today, Dec. 14, Justice Ian Josephson accepted Crown's submission that Ellis poses a serious risk to the public and ordered him held in custody until deemed fit for release. He will not be eligible for parole until 2023.

Also in the vehicle were Ellis’s long-time friend and former co-accused Shawn Wysynski who is currently serving nine years in federal prison for the carjackings. He also testified that he ordered Ellis at gunpoint to get away from police that day and was the one who shot at police.

Ashley Collins was 18, pregnant and according to her lawyer, Grant Gray, was “essentially along for the ride.” During the chase she was shot by police as she hid in the box of the hijacked pickup truck and lost the baby and one of her kidneys.

She received a suspended sentence with 18 months’ probation as well as a five-year ban on owning firearms.

Court records show Ellis has more than 50 prior convictions.

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