Man charged with impaired driving, fleeing from cops
Hay River driver faces six charges after RCMP try to pull over vehicle at traffic stop
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, April 11, 2016
HAY RIVER
A Hay River man is facing six charges after allegedly fleeing while intoxicated at high speed after being pulled over in his vehicle by RCMP.
According to a police news release, officers responded to a complaint of an intoxicated person trying to break into a residence in the West Channel area at about 3:20 p.m. on March 29.
Upon arriving at the scene, they were told the suspect had left in a vehicle.
"The vehicle was located and officers conducted a traffic stop," states the news release. "As members approached the vehicle on foot, the driver quickly accelerated away."
Police got back in their vehicle and activated their emergency lights and siren while following the suspect, who initially maintained the speed limit, according to the news release. The suspect then turned around and fled at a high rate of speed.
The officers did not pursue after determining doing so would have increased the risk to the public.
The vehicle was located parked in the McBryan Drive area at approximately 6:45 p.m. that evening with the same suspect as earlier sitting in the driver's seat. He was subsequently arrested.
As a result of the incident, 46-year-old Bruce Richardson has been charged with dangerous driving, impaired driving, flight from police, resisting police, driving while prohibited, and failure to comply with a probation order.
Richardson will next appear in Yellowknife territorial court on April 19 in connection with the charges.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the Hay River RCMP.
