A Prince George man is in custody following an early morning confrontation with police on 15 Mile Road.
Shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, Prince George RCMP received a report of a possible stolen truck with a broken window being driven aggressively through the city. A vehicle matching the description of a 1999 GMC pick up that was reported stolen from a residence on Fairway Road, east of Prince George, on Tuesday night was seen near Brigade Drive and Kerry Street, but was not located by patrols.
The vehicle was again spotted going south at a high speed near the Simon Fraser Bridge around 8:30 a.m. and police began patrolling areas south of the city.
About 30 minutes later, a member of the public who had seen a photo of the stolen truck on social media called police to report a vehicle they believed to be the same was on 15 Mile Road between Buckhorn and Red Rock.
RCMP, including two police service dog units found the truck on 15 Mile Road, only to have the driver accelerate toward the police vehicles, causing a head-on collision.
According to the RCMP, the driver was combative and arrested with the assistance of a police service dog. The suspect was then transported to the University Hospital of Northern B.C. and treated for non-life threatening injuries. One officer required minor medical attention before being released while another officer and two dogs were also checked and released.
The suspect is a 21-year-old Prince George resident who had an outstanding arrest warrant for carrying a concealed weapon, mischief and failing to comply with conditions.
"The Prince George RCMP want to commend the two members of the public that immediately called police when they suspected the vehicle was stolen," said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Craig Douglass, in a press release. "Their actions directly led to the arrest of the suspect and contributed to making Prince George an even safer place to live."
