Charges laid against alleged gangster more than a year after Abbotsford pursuit

Abbotsford police released video of an erratic driver who fled from police on Oct. 12, 2021. On Feb. 7, 2023, 47-year-old Jason Himpfen was charged in connection to the incident. (Abbotsford Police Department)

Police in Abbotsford say an erratic driver who was arrested after a 90-minute pursuit by an RCMP helicopter more than a year ago is now facing drug charges.

The incident occurred on Oct. 12, 2021. Officers were called to Highway 1 near the Langley border, where they attempted to stop the eastbound driver.

The man failed to stop, and officers did not pursue him on the ground as he fled, police said in a news release Tuesday. Instead, Air 1, the Lower Mainland's police helicopter, followed the vehicle, observing the driver "running numerous stop signs, passing cars unsafely and forcing oncoming vehicle traffic onto the shoulder of the road while driving at excessive speeds."

The vehicle stopped in Chilliwack, where Abbotsford police officers took 45-year-old Jason Himpfen into custody with the help of Lower Mainland Police Dog Services and the Chilliwack RCMP.

Police said they searched Himpfen's vehicle and found a total of 370 grams of drugs, specifically fentanyl and methamphetamine.

On Tuesday, nearly 16 months after the arrest, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges against the now-47-year-old, according to Abbotsford police. Himpfen has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, flight from police and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

PRIOR WARNING ABOUT SUSPECT

The helicopter pursuit that ended in Himpfen's arrest came a few months after police issued a rare public warning about him.

In July 2021, Abbotsford police warned that Himpfen had alleged gang ties and could pose a "significant risk" to public safety.

Police cited what they called "compelling circumstances" that led them to believe Himpfen could be targeted with violence, though they didn't elaborate on the specifics of those circumstances, beyond alleging that he was involved in the Lower Mainland gang conflict.

"As many gang-related shootings occur in public places, this means that Jason Himpfen's presence in public creates a serious risk to public safety," the department said at the time.

HELICOPTER VIDEO RELEASED

Abbotsford police released video of the helicopter pursuit that led to Himpfen's arrest alongside their statement Tuesday.

The two-minute clip shows a black vehicle speeding along rural roads, frequently pulling into the oncoming lane to pass other vehicles.

“This offender, who refused to stop for police, exhibited careless disregard for the citizens of Abbotsford and Chilliwack," said Insp. Kevin Murray, in Tuesday's statement.

"We are fortunate to have had the assistance of Air 1, which captured the scope of the dangerous driving in question. The sizable quantity of drugs seized by AbbyPD officers would have otherwise hit our streets and imperiled even more lives than the ones he imperiled through his reckless driving behaviour."