On May 16, 2018 around 2:50 p.m. Meadow Lake RCMP received a report of a vehicle fire along Highway #4, approximately five miles south of Dorintosh. The fire spread to the surrounding area and required the assistance of water bombers, who were responding to a fire in the nearby area, to extinguish the fire surrounding the vehicle. Investigation determined the burning vehicle was reported stolen from the Meadow Lake area earlier in the day.
Around 3:20 p.m. the detachment received a report of a silver car driving erratically in the Meadow Lake Provincial Park. Members from Meadow Lake, Pierceland and Loon Lake RCMP detachments responded. RCMP members located this vehicle, a silver Hyundai Accent, on Highway #21 and activated their emergency equipment. However, the vehicle did not stop and a pursuit was initiated.
The vehicle was stopped a short time later on Highway #21 between Pierceland and Loon Lake and RCMP members approached the vehicle in an attempt to arrest the suspects. During the interaction with the occupants of the vehicle, one of the RCMP members discharged their firearm at the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle quickly left the scene on Highway #21 again and the pursuit continued.
The suspect vehicle travelled 8 kilometres before stopping and the occupants (3 adult males and 2 adult females) were arrested without further incident. No injuries were sustained by any of the suspects or the RCMP members as a result of this incident.
Investigators have determined the silver Hyundai Accent, which was reported stolen out of Alberta on April 29, 2018, was associated to the vehicle fire on Highway #4 as well as two other incidents reported to police the same day: a break and enter at a nearby property and a theft of liquor from a store in St. Walburg.
The following five adults:
- Jessie Von GLADUE of Saddle Lake, Alberta,
- Neil Vincent LEWIS of Saddle Lake, Alberta,
- Charlton Dwight GLADUE of Saddle Lake, Alberta,
- Jody LEWIS of Frog Lake, Alberta,
- and Savanah Jenna MCGILVERY of Frog Lake, Alberta
have been each charged with 10 counts, including:
- Possession of stolen property, Sec. 354(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
- Break and enter, Sec. 348(1)(b) of the Criminal Code
- (2 counts) Theft under $5000, Sec. 334 of the Criminal Code
- Arson, Sec. 434 of the Criminal Code
- Arson with disregard for life, Sec. 433(a) of the Criminal Code
- Flight from police, Sec. 249.1(1) of the Criminal Code
- Possess weapon dangerous to the public, Sec. 88(1) of the Criminal Code
- Possess prohibited weapon, Sec. 92(1) of the Criminal Code
- Dangerous operation of motor vehicle, Sec. 249(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
In addition, Neil LEWIS is also charged with:
- Driving while disqualified, Sec. 259(4)(b) of the Criminal Code,
- and Disguise with intent of committing an indictable offence, Sec. 351(2) of the Criminal Code
All 5 individuals have been remanded for court on May 22 in Meadow Lake.
As per RCMP policy, all circumstances surrounding the discharge of the RCMP firearm is subject to an internal investigation; therefore, we cannot provide any further details related to the firearm discharge at this time. We have also made a request to the Province to appoint an independent observer specifically related to this internal investigation. Once the investigation and review is complete, an RCMP administrative review will take place with regards to policy compliance. This is a practice consistent with incidents where a firearm is discharged.