Chad Ireland, 30, of Calgary has been charged with numerous counts after he attempted to evade a Beiseker RCMP officer by peppering him with bear spray on April 29, according to Airdrie RCMP Media Liaison Constable Jason Curtis.
According to Curtis, the incident took place at approximately 8 a.m. on Range Road 274 south of Highway 72.
Curtis said a call regarding a suspicious vehicle and person initially came into the Beiseker detachment. When an officer responded and did a records check, it turned out the vehicle had been reported stolen. When the officer attempted to arrest Ireland, he tried to use bear spray on the officer before running to a nearby vehicle and fleeing.
Officers from Beiseker RCMP, Airdrie Rural RCMP, the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit and the RCMP Police Dog Services converged on the scene and ultimately were able to locate Ireland in an oilfield site a short distance away, according to Curtis. He subsequently surrendered to police.
Ireland faces a total of 19 charges including resisting police, assault on a police officer with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possession of counterfeit money, theft of a motor vehicle and break and enter.
“He had numerous credit cards and counterfeit money, other people’s identification (in the vehicle),” Curtis said. “He was found by the constable with a stolen vehicle and a stolen trailer. As the constable chased him, he got into another vehicle. The constable actually smashed out the window to attempt to arrest him but at that point he’d located a set of keys in the vehicle and drove away. He actually stole a vehicle in front of a police officer.”
According to Curtis, Ireland is being held at the Airdrie detachment pending his first court appearance. A date for that first court appearance has not yet been set, Curtis said.
In this case, Curtis said bear spray is considered a weapon.
“In the heat of the moment, the bear spray looked like it could be a firearm,” he said. “The charge of possession of a dangerous weapon is very situational. If I find you in Banff National Park with bear spray, that’s normal. If I find you at CrossIron Mills mall with bear spray, then I can reasonably believe that you are possessing that for a dangerous purpose.”
RCMP also arrested a 27-year-old woman from Calgary in Irricana and charged her with three counts including possession of stolen property over $5,000, identity theft and possession of break and enter tools. According to Curtis, officers were able to link the woman and Ireland.
“They were associated somehow, but basically the female had attended a gas station in Irricana, started acting suspicious so someone gave us a call at which point she fled,” he said. “They are related – not familial – but in offenses.”
Because the charges against her have yet to be sworn before a judge, Curtis said her identity cannot be released. She will be in Airdrie Provincial Court on July 2.
If you have any information on any crime, call your local RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
