Two people have been arrested and will likely face a host of gun and drug charges after a traffic stop and foot chase by North Vancouver RCMP officers.
The incident happened just after 1 a.m. on July 14 when an officer on patrol spotted the driver of a white Volkswagen driving on the wrong side of West Third Street near Bewicke Avenue. The constable pulled the driver over but the suspect would not comply with orders and fled on foot, according to a release from Const. Mansoor Sahak, North Vancouver RCMP spokesperson.
The officer then chased the suspect on foot for 10 minutes before nabbing him in a takedown a few blocks away, Sahak said.
A search of the Volkswagen found a loaded shotgun, a machete, drugs packaged for sale, cash and stolen property, according to police. A woman who was a passenger in the vehicle was also arrested.
The pair remain under investigation and the RCMP have not yet sent recommendations for charges to be considered by the Crown, but Sahak said they will be seeking counts of impaired driving, possession of stolen property, obstruction, possession for a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, driving while prohibited, and firearms offences for the driver, who they say is a man in his 30s. The passenger is also facing charges for trafficking, possession of stolen property and firearms offences.
The two suspects are known to police, although they are not associated with any specific gangs, Sahak said.
It is a relief that none of the weapons in the vehicle were put to use, Sahak said.
“There was a bit of a struggle at the end there, but this situation could have easily ended in a tragedy.… It’s an extremely dangerous situation for officers and the general public,” he said. “In this instance, we’re just glad that we were able to take the gun off the streets and that nobody was seriously hurt.”
Foot pursuits and takedowns aren’t an everyday thing for officers, “but they do happen,” Sahak said.
“It’s part of the job and you have to be prepared to basically get physical at any point and give chase,” he said.
The suspects have since been released on bail, and Sahak said there is no timeline for when charges may be approved.
