Photo: Colin Dacre

A Williams Lake man is facing charges after allegedly stealing a car from a Cache Creek gas station and leading police, including an off-duty officer, on a wild chase last night (Feb. 26).

The off-duty officer, a Burnaby RCMP Staff Sergeant, saw a man chasing a silver Kia Rio on foot as he pulled into a gas station around 8 p.m. The man's vehicle had been taken after it was left idling outside the station; the officer began following the suspect as he drove north toward Clinton. 

"The off-duty officer followed the freshly stolen vehicle and provided vital updates to police dispatchers operating out of the Kelowna Operational Communications Centre, who relayed that information to responding frontline officers," reads a news release from the RCMP.

Clinton RCMP were able to stop the car using a spike belt and apprehended the suspect without further incident.

RCMP officers not only work and live, but often travel through communities across our beautiful province. This is just one example of how we are always ready to respond to emergencies, says Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the RCMP Southeast District, in the release. The off-duty officer’s situational awareness, and collaboration with our police dispatchers and Clinton RCMP officers resulted in the safe arrest during a situation which had the potential to harm someone.

The suspect was held in police custody overnight and later released. He is expected to make his first appearance in court on April 30.