Watch above: Twenty-eight charges are pending against a Saskatoon man following a police chase Saturday afternoon. Amber Rockliffe reports.
SASKATOON – A man is facing 28 charges after a police chase ended in downtown Saskatoon on Saturday afternoon. Investigators later determined that a weapon found inside the suspect vehicle was a replica air pistol.
Multiple charges pending against the unnamed 35-year-old man include: use of a firearm in commission of an offence, evading police, threats to cause death, possession of methamphetamine and eight counts of pointing a firearm.
The replica is considered a firearm under the Criminal Code of Canada. Police have released an image (below) of the same type of air pistol that was seized.
The accused also had warrants for his arrest for charges such as using a stolen credit card and being in a dwelling unlawfully. He is in custody and is scheduled to appear in provincial court Monday.
READ MORE: Shots fired at Saskatoon police during stolen car chase
The incident started at around 2:40 p.m. when an officer attempted to stop a car in the vicinity of 8th Street. The man refused to stop and began driving erratically.
Police monitored the suspect vehicle’s route as it made its way to the west side of the city.
According to the Saskatoon Police Service, the suspect pointed what appeared to be a firearm at officers and began firing before officers returned fire.
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Saskatoon Police Chief Clive Weighill said officers fired roughly 10 to 12 shots at the suspect at two different locations during the pursuit.
“He clearly posed a threat to the public and police … even when he was in custody he continued to make death threats against our police officers,” said Weighill.
“When he was coming down Idylwyld close to 25th, one of the vehicles that was pursuing him saw the gun come out of the window and shots were fired at the police vehicle.”
The chased ended when two police vehicles rammed the car at the intersection of 22nd Street East and 2nd Avenue. No one was injured in the collision.
Police are now clarifying that investigators have not yet been able to determine if the car was stolen.
The investigation is ongoing.
With files from Amber Rockliffe
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