Police have issued an arrest warrant for a Calgary man believed to be driving a pickup truck that ran over his girlfriend in a domestic hit-and-run that happened in the city’s southeast. Investigators say he was last seen leaving the city, driving towards High River.
Police said the truck was driving through the intersection at Chaparral Boulevard and 194 Avenue S.E. at about 9 p.m. Thursday when the woman “fell” into the road from the moving vehicle.
“The evidence that we have thus far would indicate that she jumped from the vehicle,” Staff Sgt. Avril Martin said in a Friday press conference.
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The woman, who police said is in her 40s, was then run over by the truck before the driver got out and tried to put her back inside.
Police said three to four witnesses intervened, stopping the man from putting her in the truck, and called police.
“They exercised their own judgment; they thought it was safe for them to intervene and thankfully, they did,” Martin said.
“In my opinion, they possibly did save her life by intervening and trying to assist her while this incident was going on.”
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Officers rushed to the scene and tried to stop the driver, but he drove away.
The woman was taken to hospital in serious condition; her condition was upgraded to stable Friday afternoon.
Police are now looking for 28-year-old Justin Rory Hopkins-Jones. Martin said officers had been called to domestic incidents involving him and his girlfriend in the past.
“The severity of what we’re seeing and the level of domestic violence — we’re certainly seeing an increase in that — and so that’s what makes this one so concerning to us, is that level of severity of the violence that has happened,” Martin said.
Jones is charged with assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a vehicle while pursued by a police officer. He’s also been charged with seven counts of failing to comply with a court order.
He is described as being about five feet, 11 inches tall with a medium build, brown hair and brown eyes.
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“As soon as he went out of the city limits, then we dropped back our helicopter because we knew who our suspect is,” Martin said, adding the risk to victim’s safety was lowered since she was in hospital. “We decided to use other investigative techniques, such as the warrants, to apprehend him.”
The truck he was last seen driving was a silver 2017 Ford F150 rental vehicle with licence plate L779653.
Anyone with information on Jones’ whereabouts is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or contact Crime Stoppers.
There’s been a spike in domestic violence in Calgary in recent years, according to police. Last year, police received 3,709 domestic violence calls — a 12.8 per cent increase over 2015. The number of calls in 2015 showed a 10 per cent increase over 2014.
For a list of resources available to victims of domestic violence, visit the city’s website here
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