Police in Abbotsford, B.C., pursue stolen car, arrest suspect

A man has been arrested after the late-night police pursuit of a stolen car Monday evening.

Around 4:47 a.m. Saturday morning, Burnaby RCMP were called to a report of a man breaking into a family home and stealing their car from the garage, alongside other items, Abbotsford police said in a statement Tuesday.

The stolen car, a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, was located two days later, Dec. 16, travelling eastbound on Highway 1 from the Coquitlam area around 9:20 p.m.

Local plainclothes police officers covertly tracked the vehicle as it entered Abbotsford, following it to the Sandman Hotel on Mt Lehman Road. As the truck was reversing into a parking spot, officers and police dogs swarmed the suspect, the release said.

The 37-year-old man unsuccessfully attempted to flee the scene by ramming the surrounding police cars. While cornered by police, the driver ignored officer’s requests and was seen reaching around in the car, presumably for a weapon, AbbyPD said.

“Due to the ongoing non-compliance and the belief that the suspect was reaching for a weapon, police deployed less lethal bean bag rounds and a police dog in an effort to take the suspect into custody,” the release said.

During a search of the vehicle, officers found a loaded gun in the area the man had been reaching towards, alongside stolen items from the family home in Burnaby.

The man was taken to hospital for minor injuries before being released into Abbotsford jail, the release said. Already bearing an extensive criminal record, the suspect 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 isn’t unusual for officers to experience such an incident, as they often encounter “violent situations” similar to the one that unfolded Monday evening.

“Daily, our officers continue to confront repeat violent offenders participating in multi-jurisdictional crimes,” he said.

“These offenses have a severe impact on victims and significantly affect public safety within our communities.”

Walker said the AbbyPD is working alongside Burnaby RCMP on the incident, and is recommending “multiple criminal charges” for the man.