Thompson RCMP use drone to track suspect after vehicle stop

RCMP used drones to track a suspect who fled a vehicle stop off a northern highway on Thursday afternoon.

Thompson RCMP on patrol on Highway 391 at about 2:30 p.m. spotted a vehicle travelling toward them at a high speed.

The officers turned on their emergency lights and moved to pull the vehicle over, but it instead turned onto a gravel road off the highway.

The vehicle stopped at a dead end and one of the five individuals inside threw a can of bear spray into the ditch. More Mounties arrived and as officers were arresting one of the vehicle’s occupants, another ran off into dense bush.

The officers called for a police dog and launched several drones to help search for the man. Hours later, at about 8:30 p.m., a drone operator spotted the suspect hiding in the ditch along Highway 391, where officers arrested him.

Officers also found two cans of bear spray in the vehicle’s trunk.

A 21-year-old man is charged with dangerous driving and fleeing police, among other offences. A 15-year-old boy and three men aged 33, 24 and 24 were charged with weapons offences.