Loon Lake RCMP say a high speed pursuit of two suspect vehicles resulted in the arrest and charges of four people, following what is believed to be gang related activity on the Makwa Lake First Nation last week.
At approximately 4 a.m. on January 17, Loon Lake RCMP were dispatched to a home on the First Nation of a man suffering a head injury.
He was transported to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
A few minutes later, Mounties were at another home on multiple complaints of gunshots. Officers could not locate the suspects, however claim the two incidents were related.
Shortly after noon on January 18, police received several tips that the suspects’ vehicle was driving on the First Nation.
“Investigators quickly determined there was a second vehicle – a black SUV – travelling with the original suspect vehicle – a gold truck,” said an RCMP statement. “The vehicles left Loon Lake on Highway #26 and encountered a road block where a spike belt was deployed and the black SUV was damaged due to the spike belt. Both vehicles were located 1.6 km north of the location of the spike belt. Officers saw the occupants of the now disabled black SUV running and then entering the gold truck. The gold truck then fled the scene.”
Officers located the gold truck turning east off of Highway #26. The suspect vehicle entered Highway 55 travelling at up 150 km/h with officers pursuing the suspect vehicle until it entered Pierceland when the pursuit ended for safety reasons.
“As the suspect vehicle was heading east towards the Bighead First Nation another spike belt was successfully deployed, however, the suspect vehicle did not stop. Officers had another roadblock with a spike belt setup about 8 km north of this location,” the statement continued. “With officers at the roadblock and in pursuit, the suspect vehicle went over the spike belt and while still travelling at a high rate of speed almost struck an RCMP officer who had to leap out of the way to avoid being hit. The suspect vehicle stopped after colliding with a police vehicle.”
Tonia Cantell, Tonio Cantell, Cody Dillon and Juanita Wahpistikwan were arrested and charged. The four appeared in Meadow Lake Provincial Court Monday. The RCMP say no one was injured in the incident.