Grande Prairie RCMP have recovered some police equipment that was stolen during a theft in northern Alberta Wednesday night.
The incident started just after 10:40 p.m., when RCMP said they found a vehicle in the area of 162 Avenue and 102 Street in Grande Prairie that had been reported stolen.
Police said a man and a woman were inside the vehicle.
When RCMP attempted to stop the vehicle, police said the suspects drove away and ended up driving off the road.
Officers were able to arrest the woman but said the man got away on foot.
Police said the man then got into a nearby unsecured police vehicle and drove away.
The police vehicle was later recovered, but the following items were missing:
- RCMP patrol jacket
- RCMP toque
- handcuffs
- hard body armour
- 40-millimetre extended range impact weapon
The extended range impact weapon is a less-lethal weapon that fires large sponge or silicon-tipped rounds. However, RCMP warn that it can still cause serious harm if it is deployed in close proximity.
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Police allege the suspect stole another vehicle in the Spirit River area. That vehicle is described as a brown 2019 Jeep Grande Cherokee with Alberta licence plate CCB 0087.
The RCMP jacket and hard body armour was also recovered, but police said the 40-millimetre extended range impact weapon was still missing.
Earlier Thursday, RCMP were still searching for the male suspect: 31-year-old David Pinfield of Valleyview, Alta.
In an update just before 3 p.m., RCMP said Pinfield was in custody.
Pinfield was later charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, two counts of possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, theft of motor vehicle, break and enter, and theft over $5,000.
He appeared in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on March 21 and was remanded into custody for court on April 4.
The woman who was arrested at the scene, 29-year-old Sara Desjarlais, was later charged with robbery, possession of stolen property, assault on a police officer with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
She was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on April 20.
— With files from Emily Mertz, Global News
Anyone with information about the missing RCMP weapon is asked to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at 780-830-5700. Anonymous information can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
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