Police on wildfire duty use spike belt to nab auto theft suspect in West Kelowna

WEST KELOWNA – Officers had to multitask yesterday while they were assigned to the Okanagan wildfires.

Yesterday, July 21, RCMP deployed a spike belt in order to disable a stolen car. The vehicle had evaded their policing partners multiple times in the South Okanagan.

At about 2 p.m. police were on call to support emergency operations in relation to the Mount Eneas wildfire. They then spotted the stolen blue Mitsubishi Lancer heading northbound along Highway 97 entering Peachland.

Central Okanagan members were alerted by dispatch operators that the vehicle had been reported stolen just 45 minutes ago from Oliver.

“Since the auto theft, the Mitsubishi Lancer had been the subject of multiple erratic and dangerous driving complaints in the South Okanagan,” Corp. Jesse O’Donaghey says. “The suspect actively evaded and failed to stop for RCMP in Penticton before continuing north on Highway 97 towards Kelowna.”

The stolen vehicle avoided an RCMP roadblock checkpoint, before officers successfully deployed a tire deflation device on Highway 97 near Buchanan Road in Peachland.

The suspect once again failed to stop for police and continued on. He eventually rammed into both a fully marked and unmarked police vehicle, before police forced him off the roadway and took him into police custody. There was no further incident.

“Our officers were very concerned for both public and police safety, this includes the safety of their suspect,” Corp. O’Donaghey adds. “Thankfully neither our officers, any members of the general public or our suspect suffered any injuries as a result.”

The suspect is a 29-year-old Oliver man. He faces numerous potential criminal charges. He remains in police custody in Kelowna awaiting his first court appearance.

If you witnessed this incident and have not yet spoken to police you are asked to contact the West Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2880.

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