Air Support Unit assists Saskatoon police in arrests

The Saskatoon Police Service’s eye in the sky helped officers arrest four people who were fleeing police in a stolen vehicle full of weapons Monday night.

The chase began when an officer tried to make a traffic stop on Avenue J North at the intersection with Bedford Road, police said, but the driver of the SUV took off at high speed.

As the police plane tracked the vehicle from the sky, officers saw people inside throw a shotgun and a crossbow out the window.

A 28-year-old man and 19-year-old woman from Battleford face charges after a chase Sunday morning in Saskatoon. Police attempted to pull over a van, reported stolen in Cochin, on 20th Street near Avenue W around 2:40 a.m. The driver sped off while trying to get away from police. Officers kept an eye on the van until the Air Support Unit was able to track it, then called off the pursuit on the ground. According to police, the suspects abandoned the van a few minutes later on Milton Street just east of Confederation Drive. Air support gave their position to the K9 Unit and officers on the ground who found them hiding nearby. Police say the two suspects didn't listen to commands from officers and both were treated for dog bites when they were arrested. Both the 28-year-old and 19-year-old face charges including possession of stolen property, evading police, and dangerous driving. The man, 28, also has several unrelated warrants for his arrest.

(SPS Air Support Unit/Twitter)

The chase continued until the SUV ran out of fuel in a farmyard, and the four occupants were arrested. The vehicle, police said, was stolen on Monday morning.

The driver, a 36-year-old man, was charged with dangerous driving, evading police, possession of stolen property, possession of a firearm while prohibited, and breaching court-ordered conditions.

The passengers — a 32-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman and a 22-year-old woman — were all charged with possession of stolen property. Two of them were also charged with breaching conditions.

Police shared video from the chase on Twitter, which shows the driver going off-road during the chase, and the shotgun being thrown from the moving vehicle.

Last night @SPSAir1 tracked a stolen suv that evaded police and accidentally dropped a shotgun & crossbow out the window. Not only did we spot that and recover the weapons but we guided ground units to where they tried to hide. pic.twitter.com/6amrwvVv6j

— SPS Air Support Unit (@SPSAir1) September 14, 2022