Red Deer man gouges road fleeing police on flat tires before attacking 5 officers with bear spray

A man from Red Deer, Alta., who fled police ina stolen pickup truck, droveover a tire deflation deviceand continuedto speed away until his rims broke apart has been arrested by officers he attacked with bear spray.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, RCMP spotted a stolen Dodge Ram parked in a lot on 67th Street, saidpolice in a release.

They placed a tire deflation device behind the truck and approached the vehicle to make an arrest.

After struggling with police, the man behind the wheel managed to flee the scene at high speed, flattening both back tires as he drove over the device.

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RCMP say they began to receive callsreporting a blue Dodge Ram driving erratically into oncoming traffic and running red lights.

The truck hita car in a roundabout at 67th Street and Orr Drive and kept going, according to the news release.

Red Deer RCMP moved into place to intercept the truck again and laid a second tire deflation device on Gaetz Avenue near 19th Street, but the truck avoided it and continued to speed away.

As the truck left Red Deer heading toward Penhold, Innisfail RCMP moved to intercept it.

The truck was driving on rims at this point, causing gouge marks in the pavement as it sped into Penhold, where the rims broke apart completely.

'Potential for tragedy was extremely high'

Innisfail RCMP, Blackfalds RCMP and police dog services all helped to arrest the suspect afterhe abandoned the truck and tried to break into a Jeep that was parked at a gas station.

During his arrest, the suspect sprayed five police officers with bear spray, inflicting minor injuries.

The Dodge Ram had been reported stolen in Red Deer on Aug.22, and the licence plate on it had been reported stolen separately in Red Deer on Sunday.

"The potential for tragedy was extremely high in this situation This is a solemn reminder of the tremendous danger criminals in stolen vehicles pose to our communities and to the police who work so hard to apprehend them," saidStaff Sgt. ChrisMatechukin a police release.

RCMP will release an update with the suspect's name and the charges against him once those charges have been sworn before the courts. He is 31.

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