(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

VERNON - Police zeroed in on a suspect who “posed an extreme risk to the community” yesterday with the help of RCMP air support and the dog unit.

The Vernon detachment was alerted around 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 27, of a man driving a stolen Honda Civic who had failed to stop for Nakusp RCMP earlier that morning. Officers in Vernon were told the man had just boarded the Needles Ferry towards Lumby, Const. Kelly Brett says in a media release.
 
An officer in Lumby later saw the vehicle travelling at high rates of speed and failing to stop at intersections, Brett says. Police did not actively pursue it, but set up points along Highway 6 in an effort to disable the vehicle using a spike belt.  Prior to the vehicle passing the spike belt locations, it veered off onto Kal Lake Road, where it continued to travel at high rates of speed, Brett says.

“Given the risk to public safety as a result of the dangerous driving, the RCMP Air Services unit and a Police Dog Service unit was deployed,” Brett says. 

Air Services quickly located the suspect vehicle travelling west bound on Westkal Road, where it came to an abrupt stop at a dead end. 

“The male suspect fled on foot, and was observed hopping a fence into the back yard of a residence. The RCMP Police Service Dog team attended the location and found the suspect hiding under a pile of kayaks,” Brett says. 

He was taken into police custody and transported to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital with minor injuries. 

“The apprehension of this driver, who posed an extreme risk to the community, would not have been possible without the quick actions of both detachments and all units who assisted,” Brett says. “It is the top priority of the RCMP and its officers to safely apprehend dangerous drivers in their efforts to keep the public safe”.

The driver of the Honda Civic, a 47-year-old Kelowna man, is facing multiple charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, possession of stolen property and driving while prohibited. He is scheduled to appear in court today, Nov. 28.

— This story was updated at 1:35 p.m. Nov. 28, 2017 to correct the name of the hospital to Vernon Jubilee. 

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