Taxi carjacking, police chase in New Westminster leads in charges

A man was charged after a car chase between a taxi and police in New Westminster.

The incident began Wednesday around 1:40 p.m. in New Westminster’s Uptown neighbourhood, when police began receiving calls that a taxi was driving erratically.

Kaede Hnatiw, 27, of New Westminster, has been charged with robbery and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Investigators believe the taxi was carjacked prior to the chase.

“Thanks again to (the) public for their patience as we understand this was a significant disruption to the neighbourhood,” Sgt. Andrew Leaver said.

“This individual was safely taken into custody thanks to the excellent work of our front-line officers and we are thankful nobody was seriously injured.”

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The ending of the chase was caught on video, which showed the taxi driving in a circle in an intersection before being sandwiched between two New Westminster police cars.

“I was just shocked to see vehicular violence like that,” witness Anthony Smith told Global News on Thursday. “It was just not something you regularly see.”

Smith, who lives in an apartment above the intersection of 6th Street and 7th Avenue, said he was startled by loud noises outside shortly before 2 p.m.

“It was a taxi cab running into other vehicles,” said Smith, adding that it appeared the crashes were intentional. “He was smashing into vehicles to get away, to escape.”

“There was one police vehicle at that time trailing him and he drove down towards the pier section of New West,” Smith said.

“Then, about five minutes later, he came back up the road and he had about 10 police cars trailing him this time. And the police did an excellent job — they pinned him in, like, something out of the show 24. It was like watching an exercise done on TV,” he continued.

“They pinned him in, they circled him, and they made sure he wasn’t endangering the public anymore.”

Sgt. Leaver said the taxi’s legitimate driver was treated for minor injuries.

Police said Hnatiw is still in custody.

Anyone with information, including video footage, can contact New Westminster police at 604-525-5411.

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— with files from Global BC’s Simon Little