An off-duty Oceanside RCMP officer and a member of the public teamed up to pin down a suspected car thief after he had crashed the vehicle outside the officer’s home last Friday night.
The suspect, a 47-year-old man of no fixed address is being held in custody and was expected to appear in court today, Oceanside RCMP reported. Charges of Theft Over $5,000, Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Driving While Disqualified, and Possession of Break-in Instrument have been recommended by the RCMP.
At approximately 9:05 p.m. Friday, the off-duty officer heard a loud bang outside of her residence in the Columbia Beach subdivision, RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman reported. She went outside to investigate and saw a male had smashed his car into a parked vehicle and was attempting to backup and flee. The driver sped off in reckless fashion and with no regard for the safety of pedestrians.
The off-duty officer located the vehicle a short distance away on Viking Way and noticed the driver was attempting to flee on foot. The officer announced that she was a police officer and advised the driver he was under arrest. The suspect refused to comply with the officer’s demands and a struggle ensued. The officer was able to eventually pin the suspect male down with the help of a civilian, and await the police that had been called by the neighbours witnessing the event.
Further investigation determined that the suspect, who was impaired by alcohol, had just stolen the car from within the subdivision. “I’m very proud of this officer,” said Foreman. “She definitely went above and beyond. She is a selfless person and did not want any recognition or acknowledgement. I will respect her wishes to remain anonymous.”
— NEWS Staff