Nothing at all routine about this traffic stop near Sicamous
By Nelson Daily Staff
RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said a routine traffic stop turned into a police manhunt after the driver of a vehicle rammed marked police cruiser early Monday (December 28) morning.
Dan Moskaluk said the incident began at 2:30 a.m. Monday during a traffic stop n Old Spallumcheen Road near Sicamous.
“A Sicamous RCMP officer had his marked police cruiser rammed by a vehicle that he had stopped on Old Spallumcheen Rd near Sicamous,” Moskaluk explained in a media release.
“The officer had just pulled the pick-up truck over when the suspect driver put his truck in reverse and rammed the marked police SUV twice.
“The male driver and sole occupant then drove away from the disabled police cruiser.”
Moskaluk said officers from Salmon Arm and a Kamloops Police Service Dog team were called out to assist.
“Officers located the abandoned vehicle along Mara Lake and noted a set of foot prints leading down to the lake,” Moskaluk said.
“Officers found other sign which indicated that the driver had paddled away from the shore by hand in kayak. RCMP officers did not have a visual on the man, however had to simply drive to the other side of the lake where the RCMP Police Dog picked up a set of tracks that were also quite visible to the human handler and officers in the fresh snow.”
Moskaluk said the fresh tracks led the officers to a residence where they located and arrested the 35-year-old Justin Daniels, who had broken into the resident’s garage.
Daniels was suffering from hypothermia but uninjured otherwise as a result of his attempt to flee.
Moskaluk said Daniels has been charged with the following:
- Assault PO with Weapon X 1
- Dangerous Operation of Motor Vehicle X 1
- Flight From Police X 1
- Possession of Break-in Tools X 1
- Break and Enter X 1
- Theft Under $5000 X 1 – For stealing a kayak and paddling across the lake.
- Theft of Mail X 19
- Drive While Prohibited MVA X 1
- Breach of Probation X 2
Moskaluk said Daniels remains in custody with his next court appearance on January 19, 2016, in Salmon Arm.
