A 28-year-old man faces 25 charges after an approximately one-hour pursuit by police through Olds, along Highway 2, ending in a wheat field near Crossfield.
Bernard Michael Sontheim of Innisfail, 28, is due in Didsbury provincial court on Aug. 19 to face those charges. Meanwhile, he remains in custody. Arrest warrants were also executed for more than 60 offences committed across Alberta.
It all began at about 12 noon on Aug. 10 when Olds RCMP responded to a complaint of a possible fraud occurring at Olds Registries.
"As officers arrived on-scene, the suspect quickly entered a Jeep which was later determined to have been stolen from the Three Hills area," an Olds RCMP news release says.
"He drove the Jeep into the responding police vehicle, then into the Registries office building, as he fled from police at a high rate of speed."
Police chased the suspect through the town, then southbound onto Highway 2.
As the pursuit continued south on the highway and along county roads, officers from Didsbury and Airdrie detachments, as well as Airdrie Traffic Services, were called to help out.
The pursuit ended when the Jeep became stuck as it drove through a wheat field east of Crossfield, according to police.
At that point, police said Sontheim fled on foot but was caught after pursuit through the field. There were no injuries to the suspect or anyone else involved in the pursuit.
As a result of this incident, Sontheim faces 25 charges, including assault with a weapon, resisting arrest, flight from police, dangerous driving, mischief, possession of stolen property, failing to comply with a recognizance and several fraud-related offences.
Police are continuing to investigate this incident and are requesting anyone with information regarding it to contact the Olds RCMP Detachment at (403) 556-3324. If you want to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or visit www.tipsubmit.com.
