A weekend of chases for Nelson police
By Nelson Daily Editor
By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily
A man took on six people and a car in a fight Friday night and then tried to outrun police officers when they arrived to break it up.
Around 2:20 a.m. Saturday morning a ruckus broke out in the 400 block of Ward Street as one man assaulted six people, including two women.
“One of the male victims was knocked unconscious and a second lost two of his front teeth,” said acting Sgt. Paul Burkart.
The accused man also punched and kicked a parked vehicle at the scene causing approximately $1,000 in damage.
Upon seeing Nelson Police Department officers arrive at the scene the man ran, but was caught and arrested after a “short foot pursuit.”
The man was taken to Kootenay Lake Hospital where he received 10 stitches in his hand.
He was charged with two counts of assault causing bodily harm and one count of mischief under $5,000. He was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in Nelson Provincial Court in mid-February.
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The bat cave offered some source of refuge for a North Shore man after he instigated a high-speed chase on Friday night and eluded police, ending up on the lam.
Nelson Police Department officers were conducting a routine road check on the Big Orange Bridge when they detected the smell of marijuana coming from a vehicle.
“The occupant was told he was under arrest and was asked to step out of his vehicle,” said Sgt. Burkart.
The driver sped off. Officers jumped into their waiting cruiser and chased after him.
However, the officer was well behind the speeding vehicle and saw that he was traveling “well above the speed limit,” passing another vehicle on a double solid line on North Shore’s Highway 3A.
“As a result, police shut down their emergency equipment and decided, for safety reasons, not to pursue the fleeing vehicle,” said Sgt. Burkart.
The driver was identified and a possible address on the North Shore was generated. When police arrived at the address they found the suspect vehicle — which was seized — but the suspect had fled on foot.
A computer search revealed the man also had several warrants out for his arrest.
Although he remains at large, police have handed him new charges of fleeing from police, dangerous driving, obstruction of a police officer and possession of a controlled substance.
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It went from bad to worse for a Nelson man last week as a routine check stop by Nelson Police Department officers ended up with the 33-year-old man in jail.
When a vehicle was pulled over Thursday night in the 1500 block of Vancouver Street the driver received a $598 ticket for driving an uninsured motor vehicle — and the vehicle had to be towed.
As the two occupants exited the vehicle to be towed police noticed a small glass vial lying on the floor beside the passenger seat. The vial contained a number of blotters of LSD (acid).
The occupants were arrested for possession of a controlled substance.
However, a further police search of the two people uncovered 11 baggies of marijuana weighing over five ounces, approximately 80 grams of what was believed to be cannabis resin (hashish), a digital scale and over $800 in cash.
“The total street value of the drugs seized was over $2,000,” said acting Sgt. Paul Burkart.
The 33-year-old man was further charged with three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
But it grew worse. A computer search revealed the accused was also wanted in Alberta and Quebec on outstanding warrants.
As a result, he was held in custody and was to appear in Rossland Provincial Court today (Monday).
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