Fleeing from a Traffic-stop results in suspected impaired driver ending up in handcuffs

The Prince Rupert RCMP are relaying some notes on an early morning case file from Friday which had Mounties responding to a call of a suspected impaired driver, which led to a short pursuit and extended incident on the city's east side.

On December 3, 2021 at approximately 03:00, the Prince Rupert RCMP received a report of a man driving his vehicle while impaired by alcohol. 

Members located the reported vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, however, the driver fled from police to his residence in the 200-block of Silverside Dr, exited his vehicle and got inside before barricading the door. 

Members were able to find the man an hour later, leaving his residence and getting back in his vehicle. Police moved in on him and after a brief fresh pursuit inside the home, arrested the man. 

The December 3rd incident took place in the 200 Block of Silversides
on the east side of Prince Rupert

As a result of the incident, the Prince Rupert RCMP will be forwarding charges against the 27-year-old driver to the BC Prosecution Service included among the charges that are alleged are:

Flight from Peace Officer, Failure or Refusal to comply with demand and Dangerous operation.

Constable Gabriel Gravel, Media Relations Officer for the Prince Rupert Detachment noted how the incident took place during National Safe Driving Week, as well as to thank the public for their assistance on the file.

"Not exactly the type of behaviour we were hoping for during the National Safe Driving Week. Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs is dangerous and illegal. Yet every hour in Canada, an average of 10 federal criminal charges and provincial short-term licence suspensions are laid for alcohol or drug-impaired driving, according to MADD Canada’s website. 

Fleeing from police, on top of that, is putting the public at a great risk and will not get you out of trouble, quite the opposite. We want to thank the public for continuing to report these type of incidents. If you know someone is driving while impaired, report it, you might be saving their life, or someone else's."

More notes on the case file can be found here.

A wider overview of the work of Emergency Responders across the Northwest can be explored here.