5 RCMP vehicles smashed by suspect with stolen trackhoe in eastern Alberta: police
Man also allegedly dumped boulders in front of RCMP detachment's prisoner bay
RCMP have arrested a man after he allegedly used a stolen trackhoe to smash multiple police vehicles at a detachment in eastern Alberta on the weekend.
In a news release, Bonnyville RCMP allege the man stole the trackhoe from a local business on Saturday just before 7 p.m.
Police say the man crashed through a fence of the business on his way to the Bonnyville RCMP detachment.
Staff Sgt. Sarah Parke, Bonnyville RCMP detachment commander, said at a news conference the man allegedly picked up boulders on his way to the detachment and dropped them in front of the prisoner bay door "in an apparent attempt to hinder our officer's ability to respond to calls."
RCMP allege the man then used the trackhoe to damage five parked police vehicles before fleeing on foot.
RCMP used police dogs and a drone to search for the suspect, who was located in a tree line just northwest of the detachment.
Parke said a police dog bit the suspect after he resisted arrest and fought with officers.
Once the man was in custody, RCMP said that he was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
Parke said the suspect was already known to police before the incident.
The 62-year-old Bonnyville resident has been charged with 13 criminal offences, including dangerous driving, break and enter, possession of stolen property over $5,000, theft over $5,000, six counts of mischief over $5,000, two counts of resisting a peace officer, and uttering threats.
Police said the charge of uttering threats was a result of an April 17 incident in which they allege the same man called an RCMP dispatch in Saskatchewan and uttered threats to kill RCMP officers.
The man was remanded into custody and will appear in Bonnyville court on Tuesday.
Parke said the damaged police vehicles are inoperable and will need to be fully replaced. The total value of the vehicles is estimated to be around $430,000.
Neighbouring RCMP detachments will lend spare police vehicles to the Bonnyville detachment while their damaged police vehicles are being replaced, she said, and the incident won't hinder their ability to provide policing services to the community.
Parke said she is disheartened by some of the reactions to the incident she has seen on social media.
"This incident has garnered a lot of attention on social media, and unfortunately, many of the comments are negative, some of which are threatening toward RCMP to the point of expressing disappointment that officers were not injured or killed during the incident."
WATCH | Trackhoe damages multiple RCMP vehicles:
This is the latest incident targeting an RCMP detachment in Alberta.
Last December, a fire that damaged the Tofield RCMP detachment just east of Edmonton was deemed by investigators to be arson. No charges have been laid in that case.
Bonnyville is about 240 kilometres east of Edmonton.