Three suspects were arrested on the evening of Sunday, July 14 just west of Sundre, placed into custody and subsequently charged with multiple offences.
The local RCMP detachment had received a report from several citizens regarding three suspicious individuals that had been seen near the Red Deer River south of Rge. Rd. 61 and Highway 584, according to a press release.
The witnesses were riding quads in the area when they came across an adult female and two adult males attempting to get a white pickup truck out of the mud, said police, adding the three fled upon being seen.
“One male fled on a quad and was witnessed to be in possession of a firearm, which he subsequently dropped in the water while fleeing, when he momentarily lost control of the quad,” police reported.
Despite some comments shared on social media, Sgt. Jody Achtymichuk, the Sundre RCMP detachment’s commander, said no shots were fired, but that the firearm was recovered.
The citizens seized the firearm and later turned the weapon over to police. The suspects had been seen leaving the area in a red pickup truck, which police located along with the trio, who were attempting to hide at a rural property, reads the press release.
“All three were arrested without incident with two of them holding several outstanding arrest warrants,” said police.
“These three individuals are known to police for their continued criminality in the Sundre, Olds and Didsbury detachment areas,” said Cpl. Joe Mandel.
“In this instance, a keen eye by the public greatly assisted in getting two of these individuals off of the street for the interim. My hope is that this continued and combined oversight by the public and local police will keep individuals like these uncomfortably accountable either through incarceration, rehabilitation or their eventual relocation.”
The three were charged for a variety of offences related to this incident and were held to appear before a justice of the peace for a judicial interim release hearing.
Jason Burns, 27, was charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; unauthorized possession of a firearm/prohibited weapon or restricted weapon; possession of break-in instruments; and two counts of weapons possession contrary to order.
Michael Goodine, 43, had been charged with possession of break-in instruments; possession of weapons contrary to order; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; and driving while unauthorized.
Samantha Petersen, 29, faces the following charges: possession of property obtained by crime; two counts of failure to comply with conditions; and possessing break-in instruments. A warrant had recently been issued for her arrest on an unrelated matter following her failure to appear in Didsbury court in connection to a stolen truck that was found in February at the Olds-Didsbury Airport.
Goodine and Burns were remanded into custody to speak to their matter at a later date. Petersen was released on $5,000 no-cash bail with court-imposed conditions to appear in Didsbury court on Aug. 12.
All three are known to frequent the Sundre, Didsbury and Olds area, but are of no fixed address, said Mandel.
