A 34-year-old man from Blackie remains in police custody following an RCMP investigation into stolen vehicles that saw one officer thrown to the ground and the suspect’s unsuccessful attempt to evade police with his Chocolate Labrador while operating a snowmobile.

Sgt. Troy Dobson of the Vulcan RCMP detachment says officers were notified that a snowmobile had been stolen near the village of Champion and loaded onto a flatbed trailer at approximately 5:15 a.m.

“(Our officer) had some help from some of the public who had seen the truck and trailer take off,” said Dobson. “He caught up with the truck and attempted to pull it over. He did, in fact, pull the vehicle over and, upon his investigation, found out the truck was stolen.”

Dobson says a physical altercation occurred at the side of the road. “The officer was thrown to the ground and the vehicle took off from there.” The RCMP member was not seriously harmed during the ordeal.

Additional RCMP units were deployed and the stolen Nissan Armada was tracked to a farmyard between the hamlets of Brant and Blackie.

Kerry Hilgen lives on the property on 264 St E, south of Blackie, and was startled awake by the sound of sirens.

“They were sitting in our yard, a couple of police cruisers, and I quickly realized that there was a vehicle stuck out in our field,” said Hilden. “The next second, we hear a snowmobile starting up and somebody taking off out of our yard.”

Hilden says the ordeal, which occurred in pitch darkness, was frightening. “You don’t know who’s out there. You don’t know if they have guns. You’re a little scared.”

According to Dobson, the suspect’s attempt to drive the stolen SUV and flatbed trailer through the field was thwarted by the snow. “The lone male that was inside of the truck got onto the stolen snowmobile that he had on the back of (the) stolen trailer. He left from there with his dog that he had with him.”

With assistance from the Calgary Police Service’s HAWCS helicopter, an RCMP Police Dog Services unit and members of the Turney Valley RCMP riding snowmobilies, the suspect snowmobile was spotted in brush near the railway tracks approximately six kilometres from where the SUV and trailer had been abandoned.

and ground police units arrested the suspect at approximately 7:00 a.m. The dog was returned to the family of the suspect.

Dobson says 18 charges are pending against a 34-year-old man from Blackie who was wanted on 29 outstanding warrants in connection with alleged offences in Gleichen, Calgary, Redcliff and Langley, British Columbia.

Dobson confirms a search of the SUV will occur in the near future and could result in additional charges against the suspect. The SUV had been stolen from Okotoks, the trailer had been stolen from Taber and its plates had been stolen from Creston, B.C.