It was a dramatic end to a three-day long manhunt for attempted murder suspect Afshin Maleki Ighani in Princeton.
Ighani was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for allegedly shooting another man in Oliver last week.
Now he is also accused of hijacking a vehicle on Saturday and kidnapping a woman who he knew before fleeing towards Manning Park on Highway 3.
The woman’s boyfriend, who Ighani forced out of the vehicle, allegedly stole a motorcycle and attempted to follow.
The motorbike was recovered in Okanagan Falls and police are still looking for that man.
Meanwhile Ighani had turned around and headed back towards Princeton before hitting a dead-end road.
“We did have resources including our air services helicopter from southeast district that took flight. At one point they were able to ping a cell phone signal from one of the cell phone’s that was in the suspect vehicle,” said RCMP spokesperson Corp. Dan Moskaluk.
Ighani was cornered in the Deblyn Mobile Home Park in Princeton.
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“Mr. Ighani attempted to flee the vehicle, abandoning the vehicle and the female, we can confirm one shot was discharged by one of our officers in the attempts of arresting Mr.Ighani. Mr.Ighani did not get very far. We had a police service dog also in the area, the dog was able to track Mr.Ighani to a wooded area,” Moskaluk said.
Ighani made his first court appearance in Penticton provincial court today and was remanded into custody May 3.
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada tells Global News Ighani was issued a deportation order in July of 2002.
The reason was a criminal conviction for possessing a restricted weapon, an offence punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
He was granted a stay of removal against that deportation in November of 2002.
Ighani was given conditions for a five year period, including to not commit any criminal offences and keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
In May of 2007, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness asked the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada to cancel that stay of removal.
The Immigration Appeal Division was notified that Ighani had been convicted of four offences in February 2007 including trafficking in a controlled substance, namely cocaine, and possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition.
The deportation order was reinstated against Ighani.
The Canada Border Services Agency is responsible for enforcing deportation orders.
It won’t say why Ighani is still in Canada citing The Privacy Act.
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