A 20 year-old Regina male and 28 year-old female, of no fixed address, will face numerous charges including weapons charges and assaulting a police officer with a weapon after an incident last night in which two suspects evaded police in a stolen taxicab.
At approximately 9:30 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2015, two patrol members attempted to stop a Brown Crown Victoria which was missing a back license plate. In the area of Dewdney Avenue and St. John Street, the officers activated emergency equipment but the Crown Victoria fled. For the next 15 minutes, the vehicle was seen in the downtown and east end of Regina, disobeying traffic lights and driving into oncoming traffic. It was found, abandoned in the area of 10th Avenue and Lacon Street. In the 1600 block of Lacon Street, police stopped a taxicab that was leaving the police perimeter. The cab had two occupants other than the driver: a male and female. When a patrol officer attempted to detain the two individuals, the male discharged bear spray into the officer’s face and threw the cab driver, a 45 year-old male, out of the car and onto the ground. The vehicle sped away from the scene. A supervisor (sergeant) radioed Headquarters, requesting authorization to carry out a high-risk vehicle stop should the circumstances permit such a tactic without further risks to public and officer safety; that authorization was granted. Police located the suspect vehicle in east Regina near Coleman Street and Victoria Avenue. The suspect vehicle continued westbound towards University Park Drive, eventually heading into the oncoming lane. At that time, officers in four police vehicles carried out an immobilization manoeuvre and apprehended both occupants of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle located a substance believed to be methamphetamine and a can of bear spray.
Investigation into this incident led to charges against the two suspects. One of the suspects was also found to be the subject of numerous warrants for his arrest. The cab driver sustained minor injuries. The officer who’d been bear-sprayed could not continue his shift due to the irritation from the bear spray; he was treated and sent home.
The tactics used to immobilize the vehicle, as well as the pursuit of the suspect will be the subject of two review boards within the Regina Police Service: a Use of Force Review and Pursuit Review. In addition, all uses of force are reported to the Saskatchewan Police Commission and are subject to independent scrutiny. The immobilization tactic is rarely authorized and used but police officers are trained in this type of manoeuvre for those situations which are dynamic, dangerous and where the need to stop a suspect vehicle is so great that it takes precedence over other considerations. In such situations, the authorization is granted by an objective senior member who is not directly involved with the situation.
The individuals arrested in connection with this incident are 28 year-old Chelsea Brooke COLEGRAVE, DOB: 1987-10-02, of no fixed address and 20 year-old Aaron Joseph BRASS, DOB: 1995-06-13, of Regina. Both BRASS and COLEGRAVE will make their first court appearances at 2:00 p.m. today, Tuesday, October 13, 2015, in Provincial Court. It’s anticipated numerous charges will be added as the investigation progresses.
The warrants outstanding for Aaron BRASS are in connection to an incident of Aggravated Assault on October 1, 2015 and the recovery of a stolen vehicle on October 6, 2015. These charges are:
- Careless Use of a Firearm, section 86(1) CC;
- Two charges of Point Firearm, section 87 CC;
- Unauthorized Possession of a a Prohibited Weapon (firearm), section 91(2) CC;
- Possession of a Firearm Contrary to Prohibition, section 117.01(1) CC;
- Aggravated Assault, section 268(1) CC; and
- Possession of Stolen Property over $5,000, section 355(a)
The investigation into this matter is ongoing. The Regina Police Service encourages the media to continue to follow this case.