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‘It is never a good idea to follow suspects’ warn RCMP after Ski-Doo theft

File: RCMP cruiser. Global News

CALGARY – RCMP are warning citizens not to take justice into their own hands after a man witnessed his neighbours’ property being stolen, and he began chasing the thieves.

The man called police at around 10 p.m. on Saturday after witnessing a trailer, which contained two Ski-Doos, being taken from outside his neighbours’ home in the Morningside area of Airdrie.

The man followed the suspects as they travelled out of the city, only stopping when RCMP arrived.

Officers tracked the vehicle, eventually using a spike belt to stop it as it travelled along Symons Valley Road, just north of city limits.

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READ MORE: Driver facing charges after crashing stolen vehicle while being pursued by police

Three men inside the vehicle took off, prompting RCMP to use a police dog to help them track the suspects.

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Investigators eventually located and arrested the men, two of whom were found hiding in farm equipment in a nearby farmyard Quonset. Two of the men were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The suspects are facing numerous charges including possession of stolen property and theft over $5,000.

RCMP used the incident to remind citizens that following suspects after they have committed a crime is a dangerous thing to do.

“It is never a good idea to follow suspects, especially into a rural area late at night,” warned RCMP in a Sunday news release. “At the end of the day, it is only property that can be replaced.”

 Editor’s note: story updated to reflect it was the neighbour who chased the suspects

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