A 27-year-old man with a history of similar episodes was behind the wheel, Prince George RCMP are alleging, when police spent Sunday chasing down a suspected car thief.
Several charges have been laid against Paul Daniel Shaw following an incident in which the suspect drove a stolen vehicle into two police cars and five other cars in an apartment parking lot in the 900 block of Ahbau Street before getting away.
Shaw was eventually arrested later the same day but as a passenger in another vehicle. However, Prince George RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass said forensic evidence was also found that may link him to the offence.
In September, Shaw was sentenced to 30 days in jail for one count of possession of a break-in instrument and two counts of breach of an undertaking or recognizance following a March 22 incident in which three police cars were rammed with a stolen truck.
Shaw had originally been charged with theft over $5,000, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, possession of stolen property over $5,000, flight from a peace officer and dangerous driving.
But he had been arrested while on foot about four hours after the vehicle had been abandoned and could not be linked to the event beyond reasonable doubt, so those charges were stayed.
From this latest incident, Shaw faces charges of dangerous driving, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, assaulting a peace officer, flight from police, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possession a weapon without a licence, three counts of possession of property obtained by crime, possession of a controlled substance and five counts of mischief $5,000 or under.
