Authorities say an alleged carjacking on the B.C. side of the Peace Arch border led to a long police chase down a Washington state highway Thursday before the driver, who was found to have a machete, was arrested.
Around 12:40 p.m. PT, Richmond RCMP said officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle. The owner of the vehicle was not injured, RCMP said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the vehicle, a pickup truck, then sped into the Peace Arch border crossing, which connects Surrey, B.C., and Blaine, Wash.
The male driver, who authorities have not named, ignored commands from officers to stop and then hit another vehicle, according to CBP. He also nearly hit a border officer, officials said.
Police said they found this machete in the truck the man was driving. (Washington State Patrol/X)
The man then drove through an inspection lot and over a grass median onto Interstate 5, CBP said.
Sheriffs from Whatcom County, which borders B.C.’s Lower Mainland, chased the driver for almost 50 kilometres, according to Washington State Patrol (WSP).
Police said the driver, who was driving erratically, was eventually stopped after officers used a “precision immobilization technique” manoeuvre — where a pursuit vehicle nudges the rear corner of the vehicle being chased, causing it to spin to a stop.
Police found a machete in the man’s truck, according to WSP. He was arrested and remains in custody at the Whatcom County jail.
Man charged
The driver has been charged with second-degree assault, hit-and-run, possession of a stolen vehicle and eluding, “all of which are fairly serious charges,” Chris Loftis with the WSP told CBC News on Friday.
The driver was eventually stopped after officers used a ‘precision immobilization technique’ manoeuvre to send the vehicle into a spin. (Washington State Patrol/X)
American authorities said they have not charged the man with carjacking since that was alleged to have happened in Canada.
Richmond RCMP said their general investigation section continues to investigate and refused to comment further.
“The carjacking, of course, would be an even more serious charge, but that’ll be left up to the Canadian authorities,” Loftis said.
“We want to make sure that people who come in and out of our country and come in and out of your country are doing it the right way. And obviously this was not the right way.”