Charges laid against alleged gangster more than a year after Abbotsford pursuit
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."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.