The Kelowna RCMP used an unique method to catch a criminal in late May.
On Monday, May 29, the RCMP received a call from a woman stating that a man broke into her home and took $1,500. The suspect fled the house on a blue Suzuki motorcycle that did not have a licence plate. When calling the police, the victim told them she believed the suspect was heading to Kamloops.
After the police received the call, they were conducting routine patrols when they spotted the motorcycle at a high rate of speed on Highway 97 near Lake Country. While the police were in fully-marked vehicles, the suspect ignored the police as they tried to spot him and he continued to flee up the highway.
To keep the public safe, instead of chasing after the suspect, the RCMP dispatched their plane, which followed the suspect from Westwold to Kamloops.
The officers in the plane watched the suspect until he parked at a hotel in Kamloops. He entered the hotel, not knowing he was being followed in the air. Kamloops RCMP converged on the hotel and quickly arrested the suspect without incident.
“RCMP air services was deployed to lessen the dangers to other motorists by not getting into a high-speed pursuit with this individual,” said Kelowna Cst. Mike Della-Paolera. “In this particular case, our teams showed great patience and were able to make an arrest with the help of our colleagues in Kamloops when it was safe to do so.”
The suspect is facing charges of theft under $5,000, flight from police and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Anyone with dashcam footage of the incident or has any other information they saw during their travels that day are to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 with the file number 2023-29589.
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