Man arrested after firing flares, threatening police in wild B.C. boat chase: RCMP
Officers continued their pursuit for more than an hour until the suspect allegedly ran the fishing boat aground and was promptly arrested. (Handout)
A 25-year-old man in British Columbia has been arrested after allegedly leading police on a wild chase in a stolen fishing boat, firing flares at the pursuing officers and threatening them over the vessel's marine radio.
Police located the fishing boat near the northern B.C. community of Prince Rupert on Monday, one day after the vessel was reported stolen from Port Hardy, more than 400 kilometres away on Vancouver Island.
Two RCMP vessels attempted to intercept the boat at sea, but the operator refused to stop, according to a statement from the RCMP's West Coast Marine Services division.
'The situation quickly escalated, becoming increasingly dangerous as the boat operator then allegedly tried to evade police while on the water in the dark, including firing flares at police and attempting to ram a responding police vessel,' the statement said.
'The operator of the stolen boat was also using the boat's VHF radio to allegedly threaten police.'
Officers continued their pursuit for more than an hour until the suspect allegedly ran the fishing boat aground and was promptly arrested.
'This was a dynamic situation that endangered everyone on the water, including the suspect, responding officers, and all other marine traffic,' said Cpl. Jeff Haney, the acting sergeant with the West Coast Marine Services division.
'We are glad this situation was safely resolved with the suspect being taken into custody, and nobody getting injured,' he added.
'There was a high level of risk involved given the area and the unpredictable actions of the boat operator.'
Mounties say their investigation into the incident is ongoing and charges will be recommended against the suspect.
The fishing boat has since been recovered from the shore, police said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
44 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
B.C. coroner won't call inquest into death of Lisa Rauch, who was hit by police anti-riot rounds
British Columbia's chief coroner is taking the unusual step of not calling an inquest into the death of Lisa Rauch, who died after being hit by two plastic bullets fired by a Victoria police officer. While an inquest is mandatory after deaths in police custody, Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan said in a statement that Rauch wasn't considered in custody at the time of her death. The statement said the decision was made after considering the wishes of the woman's family. The coroner noted that the circumstances of the 43-year-old woman's death in December 2019 were also reviewed at a public hearing before former judge Wally Oppal at the direction of the B.C. Police Complaints Commission. Police misconduct ruling in death of B.C. woman Lisa Rauch Oppal ruled that Victoria police Sgt. Ron Kirkwood officer made a serious error in judgment when he fired the anti-riot weapon into a smoke-filled room and killed Rauch, but it wasn't malicious. Oppal ruled last week that Kirkwood should serve a seven-day suspension without pay, saying the fact that the officer and the family had to wait 5 1/2 years for the decision to be made was punishment enough.
The Province
an hour ago
- The Province
Man in stolen boat fires flares, attempts to ram police vessel off Prince Rupert coast, say RCMP
A man was evading police on Monday in a fishing boat, which had been reported stolen out of Port Hardy a day earlier. RCMP allege a 25-year-old man attempted to ram and evade a police vessel in a stolen fishing boat off the coast of Prince Rupert. Photo by RCMP handout A 25-year-old man has been arrested after what Mounties are calling 'a dangerous' escapade on the water involving a stolen fishing boat Monday off the coast of Prince Rupert. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors RCMP allege the man tried to ram and evade a police vessel in the dark at night using a boat that had been reported stolen from Port Hardy a day earlier. RCMP allege a 25-year-old man attempted to ram and evade a police vessel in a stolen fishing boat off the coast of Prince Rupert. Photo by RCMP handout Two RCMP boats responded and tried to intercept the stolen boat, but it didn't stop, the RCMP alleged in a news release Thursday. Investigators say the situation escalated when the boat operator allegedly attempted to fire flares at police and tried to ram a police vessel. Cops also allege the operator of the stolen boat used the boat's VHF radio to threaten police. After pursuing the stolen fishing boat for more than an hour, police say the man ran it aground. He was arrested. RCMP say the man is facing criminal charges. The grounded fishing boat has been recovered and towed from the area. ticrawford@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News News
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Notorious B.C. pimp, trafficker has sentence reduced on appeal
Reza Moazami is seen exiting Vancouver provincial court in this file photo from December 2011. (CTV News) Reza Moazami, a B.C. man who was convicted of 30 crimes involving the trafficking, pimping, sexual assault and exploitation of 11 young female victims, has had his prison sentence reduced. Moazami's 23-year-sentence – originally handed down in 2015 – was reduced to 20 years and eight months by B.C.'s Court of Appeal Thursday. Moazami was the first person ever convicted of human trafficking in B.C. His victims ranged from 14 to 19 years old, his crimes spanning a two-and-a-half-year period. 'It is important to point out, and indeed to stress, that the appellant's criminal conduct was grave and morally reprehensible. He engaged in predatory and exploitative criminal behaviour toward a large number of vulnerable young victims. His conduct was punctuated by coercion and sexual violence toward a number of them,' Justice Janet Winteringham wrote in a unanimous decision of the three-judge panel. 'Every one of the appellant's victims was an individual who suffered indignity at the hands of the appellant. All were traumatized, some severely, to the point that they continued to struggle years afterward.' Moazami appealed his sentence on multiple grounds and sought to introduce 'fresh evidence' about the misconduct of the lead detective on the case, Jim Fisher – who pleaded guilty of breach of trust and sexual exploitation involving one of the victims. The application to introduce this evidence was dismissed, as was Moazami's bid for a 'sentencing remedy' on constitutional grounds due to 'egregious misconduct by state agents,' according to the decision. Moazami claimed the sentencing judge made a number of legal errors, citing six grounds for appeal – all but one of which was rejected. The high court found an 'error in principle' made by the sentencing judge when weighing the aggravating factors in the case and imposing a sentence longer than the one proposed by Crown counsel. 'The judge justified this position, in part, because the appellant 'subjected these young, marginalized young women to the fear, stress, and aggravation of a long trial; he re-victimized the complainants and he lied to the court under oath,'' the appeal decision says, quoting in part from the sentencing decision. 'In my respectful view, when the judge explained the higher sentence, she linked it, in error, to the appellant's decision to proceed with a trial, and in some respects, to the manner in which the trial was conducted. I have concluded the error directly impacted the sentence,' Winteringham wrote, explaining that the court can consider a guilty plea as mitigating but should not treat the exercise of one's right to trial as aggravating. Given that error, the court found the judge did not have a legally sound reason to impose a sentence beyond the 20 years and eight months Crown proposed. 'The trial judge found a pressing need for denunciation and deterrence, a conclusion that has not been disturbed on appeal and is fully supported by the evidence at trial and sentencing,' Winteringham wrote. 'Clearly, the appellant's offending conduct called for a very lengthy penitentiary sentence.' Moazami also appealed a three-year sentence for attempting to obstruct justice and breaching court-ordered conditions, which was dismissed Thursday. That conviction stemmed from his violation of a no-contact order when he 'conspired with a cellmate' to try to prevent one of the complainants from testifying in the trafficking case.
