A quick-thinking Nelson police officer was nearly dragged under a stolen vehicle early Friday, but made "the right decision" in throwing themselves out of the car's way, according to Sgt. Dino Falcone.
"The member put themselves in danger, but then realized it wasn't worth getting killed for and backed off," Falcone told the Star. "There's a possibility that member could've been dragged across the parking lot, so they did some smart thinking: let this person go here, and nobody gets injured."
He noted the proximity to potentially explosive gas tanks heightened the stakes.
"It could've turned into a pretty horrendous scene had it not been for the quick thinking by the member."
The fleeing female driver was ultimately caught in Kamloops two days later, this time in a different stolen vehicle. A man was taken into custody at the scene.
The incident began on 2:30 a.m. Friday morning when officers noticed two backed in pick-up trucks at the 7-Eleven that weren't displaying valid front license plates.
Police spoke to the drivers and discovered both vehicles were stolen. While trying to arrest a woman, she sped off, necessitating the officer's leap from danger.
"It's pretty rare to find people in a stolen car," Falcone said. "It almost never happens. This is all thanks to some good work by the members, and for even being out there at 2:30 in the morning. We try to be out there as much as we can overnight."
The woman remains in custody in Kamloops and faces numerous charges including possession of stolen property and fleeing from police. A 35-year-old Alberta man also remains in custody and has a court appearance in Nelson on Monday.
"There are two people in custody for these offences, and these officers deserve kudos really for bringing this in without any injuries or damage to the vehicles," Falcone said.
Man faces charges after arrest for fighting
A man who got into a drunken alley brawl with another man early Monday is facing charges of being drunk in public.
Police say when they arrived, the fight was still in progress, but one of the men took off.
The other man was arrested after a brief struggle and jailed, although he continued to fight with police. He was released once sober.
Tax scam continues
Nelson police are still getting complaints about people misrepresenting themselves as working for Canada Revenue Agency.
In the latest incident reported Tuesday, someone got an email notifying them that they were entitled to an additional tax fund and asked them to click on a link to begin the process. “The complainant was prompted to enter their personal information,which was used maliciously,” police said in a news release. This link has been confirmed as a scam.
Police say Canada Revenue Agency only provides tax refunds by direct deposit or cheque, and never by e-transfer.