A man has been arrested following the police pursuit of a stolen car on Monday night.
Around 4:47 a.m. Saturday, Burnaby RCMP were called to a report of a man breaking into a family home and stealing their car from the garage, along with other items, Abbotsford police said in a statement Tuesday.
The stolen car, a Toyota Tacoma pickup, was located two days later, on December 16, heading east on Highway 1 from the Coquitlam area around 9:20 p.m.
Local plainclothes officers secretly tracked the vehicle as it drove into Abbotsford, following it to the Sandman Hotel on Mt Lehman Road. As the truck backed into a parking lot, officers and police dogs swarmed the suspect, according to the release.
The 37-year-old man unsuccessfully tried to flee the scene by crashing into the surrounding police cars. While cornered by police, the driver ignored police requests and was seen reaching around the car, possibly for a weapon, AbbyPD said.
“Due to the ongoing lack of compliance and the belief that the suspect was reaching for a weapon, police deployed less lethal stun guns and a police dog in an attempt to take the suspect into custody,” the release said.
During a search of the vehicle, police found a loaded handgun in the area the man had reached, along with stolen items from the family’s Burnaby home.
The man was taken to hospital for minor injuries before being released into the Abbotsford jail. The suspect, who already has an extensive criminal record, was found to be out on probation and already wanted on warrants from another province.
Sgt. Paul Walker with the Abbotsford Police Department said it’s not uncommon for officers to experience such an incident, as they often encounter “violent situations” similar to the one that unfolded Monday night.
“Our officers continue to confront repeat violent offenders who engage in multi-jurisdictional crimes on a daily basis,” he said.
“These crimes have a serious impact on victims and significantly affect public safety within our communities.”
Walker said AbbyPD is working with Burnaby RCMP on the incident and is recommending “multiple criminal charges” for the man.
