Employee struck, injured by ATV after liquor theft: RCMP

Mounties are searching for a man who disappeared Saturday night after he allegedly fled from police on an ATV, following a liquor theft at a rural business that left one man seriously injured.

RCMP responded to a store at the intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 11, in the R.M. of Alexander, shortly before 7 p.m. Investigators learned an employee had attempted to stop a man from driving away on an ATV, after he saw him steal alcohol, RCMP said in a news release Tuesday.

The employee clung to the man as he rode the vehicle, and then they fell into a ditch. The man then ran over the employee and drove away, RCMP said.

The employee, a 40-year-old man from the R.M. of Victoria Beach, suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said. He was taken to the hospital and remains in stable condition.

Mounties spotted the ATV on Highway 11, near Sagkeeng Junior High School, and attempted a traffic stop, but the suspect refused to pull over. He then fled into a wooded area behind Turtle Lodge, toward the townsite, RCMP said.

Police deployed a drone and canine unit, but did not locate the suspect. He has not been seen or heard from since, and has been reported missing by his family, RCMP said.

Police recovered a knife, stolen liquor and a jacket belonging to the suspect from the ditch area near the store.

Kevin Courchene, 27, has been charged with aggravated assault, robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police and several other charges.

He is wanted on a warrant. Police ask anybody with information about his whereabouts to call investigators at 204-367-2222, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.