Wanted man in custody after multi-city police chase in Lower Mainland

What started as a routine traffic stop on Highway 1 near Bradner Road in Abbotsford has ended in West Vancouver on the Capilano River Bridge with a wanted man in custody.

Just after 1 pm on Wednesday, an officer from the Fraser Valley Traffic Services conducted a traffic stop on Highway 1 near Bradner Road in Abbotsford with a driver who did not have insurance and possessed Ontario licence plates. Identification checks on the driver determined he was wanted on six warrants from another province.

When the officer attempted to take the man into custody, the driver allegedly assaulted the officer and an altercation ensued, resulting in the driver taking the officer’s police vehicle keys and fleeing the scene in a small black car.

Officers began to communicate the vehicle’s position from one policing agency to the next as it travelled through several Lower Mainland communities, with officers following behind.

When traffic slowed to a near-stop on the Capilano River Bridge in West Vancouver, an officer from VPD and an officer from the Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service stopped the vehicle. With assistance from a West Vancouver police officer, the man was taken into custody.

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“A call like this really demonstrates the ability of policing agencies across the Lower Mainland to work together to thwart criminals and ensure public safety,” said RCMP Insp. Todd Balaban. “Thankfully, our officer suffered only minor injuries, it also goes to show there really are no routine traffic stops, or calls.”