Thanksgiving Day turned out to be a little more eventful for the Prince George RCMP after tracking down a violent offender.
Shortly before 4:00 a.m. on Monday, police were notified of a break-and-enter in progress at a business on the 9200-block of Sintich Road. The suspect was seen on video surveillance inside a locked compound at that location.
When police arrived, the suspect fled in what was later determined to be a vehicle stolen out of Prince George near the end of September.
The suspect began to drive in a dangerous manner veering repeatedly into oncoming traffic and driving along railway tracks and the pedestrian footbridge underneath the Simon Fraser Bridge.
After hitting multiple spike belts deployed by police officers, the suspect abandoned the stolen vehicle near the Red Rock Scales and fled on foot, subsequently stealing a quad from a bystander in the area.
The suspect then crashed the quad and was arrested by police.
Investigators identified the suspect as John Robert Barton Craig and was transported to the detachment and held for court.
The B.C. Prosecution Service has approved the following charges in this matter:
- Obstruct a police officer
- Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
- The flight was pursued by a police officer
- Theft under $5000
- Assaulting a police officer
- Possession of stolen property over $5000
- Break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offense
- Operate a conveyance while prohibited
- Driving while prohibited
“This was a very dynamic event, which was successfully concluded through the hard work of many police officers working together. Less than an hour after receiving the initial report, a violent offender was arrested despite his many attempts to evade police,” stated Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, Media Relations Officer for the Prince George RCMP.
Craig will remain in custody until his next court appearance.
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