Police say a plane was used during the arrest of an erratic driver in Westbank First Nation on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident, according to Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, not only saw officers apprehend a 25-year-old man from Kelowna, but also recover a stolen pick-up truck.
Police say the vehicle had been reported stolen from the Vernon area on Tuesday, June 9th, but that they received a licence-plate report on June 10th of the truck operating erratically along Westside Road at approximately 12:30 p.m.
RCMP say after confirming the vehicle had been stolen, officers were dispatched. The truck was found stopped along a rural road off Westside Road, but when an officer approached the truck, it took off at a high rate of speed.
They added that the officer immediately contacted the RCMP’s Southeast District Operations Centre, and gave a description of the truck and direction of travel.
“At the time of the radio transmission, RCMP Air Services were in flight and advised they were in the area,” said Cpl. Tania Finn.
“The pilot was able to maintain a visual on the truck as it drove southbound on Westside Road toward West Kelowna and provided regular updates to police officers on the ground on its location.”
A spike belt was deployed along Westside Road, disabling the truck, which eventually came to a stop at Nancee Way.
Officers from West Kelowna and a K9 unit from Kelowna were involved.
Police added no one was injured in the arrest, and that the truck’s lone occupant was taken into custody.
A witness told Global News that around a half-dozen officers were at the scene.
“All of a sudden, police officers were running and created a roadblock, and then officers got out of their vehicles guns in hand,” said Trish Crick.
“Then the truck tried to go around the roadblock, couldn’t get through the ditch, tipped a little bit on its side, and then they were just yelling and screaming telling him to get out of the truck.”
Trish said police yelled at the driver to put his hands up.
“He couldn’t open his door, so they got him out of the window, and they told him to get the cigarette out of his mouth,” Crick said. “He still, through all that, had a cigarette in his mouth.”
Vernon RCMP say the man is facing numerous criminal charges, including possession of stolen property over $5,000, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police and breach of probation.
— With files from Jules Knox