A 22-year-old man is facing multiple charges after RCMP Air Services tracked a fleeing stolen vehicle from the sky, leading officers on the ground directly to the suspect in Prince Albert.
The incident began on the evening of Sept. 25, when the Prince Albert Police Service notified local RCMP that a stolen vehicle had evaded officers and was heading into RCMP jurisdiction.
Saskatchewan RCMP Air Services located the suspect vehicle travelling northbound on Highway 3 toward Prince Albert. Ground officers attempted a traffic stop with emergency equipment activated, but the driver refused to pull over and continued fleeing.
A Tactical Flight Officer in the air kept eyes on the vehicle as it entered Prince Albert, eventually spotting it parked on 20th Street.
The flight officer watched the driver abandon the vehicle on foot and guided officers on the ground directly to his location. Police determined the driver was impaired and took him into custody without incident. No injuries were reported.
Kaydon Dorion, 22, of Prince Albert, has been charged with Impaired operation of a motor vehicle, Flight from a peace officer, Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and Failure to comply with a release order condition.
Dorion made his first appearance in Prince Albert Provincial Court on Sept. 28.
The investigation involved assistance from the Prince Albert Police Service, the Meadow Lake RCMP Crime Reduction Team, and Prince Albert Combined Traffic Services.
Saskatchewan RCMP released aerial footage of the tracking to demonstrate how multi-jurisdictional collaboration and aerial technology are used to safely apprehend fleeing suspects.