Three males, who led 100 Mile House RCMP, a tracking dog and helicopter pilot on a chase through the bush on June 13, successfully hid overnight and avoided capture until late the next morning, are now looking at a lot of charges.
Derick Brown, 26, David Higgins, 18, and Darwyn Sellars, 25, are facing several charges, including resisting arrest and possession of stolen property.
Sellars, who is originally from Williams Lake, has a court date in Kamloops tomorrow (July 17).
Brown, who resides in Kamloops, was before a judge in Williams Lake on July 9 for more charges, including possession of a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. He is back in a Williams Lake courtroom today (July 16).
Higgins, a resident of Cranbrook, has a court date in Williams Lake on Aug. 6.
At 11:11 a.m. on June 13, 100 Mile House RCMP received information from Kamloops RCMP regarding a stolen 1999 Mercury Sable that may be headed north to their area.
A further update was received stating this stolen vehicle had been linked to a theft at the Clinton liquor store.
The suspect vehicle went by police at a high rate of speed near the Highway 24 intersection with Highway 97 and the car was later located parked in the driveway of residence on Elefson Road, just south of Highway 24.
A search for the suspects was initiated by a police dog handler out of Williams Lake, but it was called off later in the afternoon when the tracks were lost after they led back to Highway 97. A police helicopter was also brought in for aerial surveillance, but the suspects were not spotted.
The next morning (June 14), police recognized the suspects from a description of their clothing caught on the liquor store cameras, and two of them fled into the bush.
Officers arrested Brown behind the Greyhound bus depot in 100 Mile House. He had two sawed-off weapons and ammunition in his possession.
Police Dog Services along with a police helicopter were brought back in to assist in the search for the other missing suspects. Shortly thereafter, Higgins and Sellars were taken into custody without incident at the ball diamonds during a slo-pitch tourney in 100 Mile House.
When the stolen vehicle was searched, a homemade improvised explosive device was discovered. The explosive disposal unit from Vancouver was flown in and the device was safely detonated around 7 p.m. that day.
All three men were remanded into custody for a court appearance on June 17 in 100 Mile House.
Two firearms were stolen from a vehicle in 100 Mile House in the early morning hours of June 14. Information led police to believe these firearms had been hidden in the bush area near the Forestry compound on Highway 97.
When police searched that location, the firearms were not located.
However, the firearms were subsequently located.