On February 19 at 7:37am, Fort St John RCMP received a report that a pickup truck had been stolen from a residential driveway on the 9800 block of 112 Avenue, Fort St John.
Later that same day, between 7:40pm and 8:53pm, two reports were received after the stolen truck was located by civilians, stuck in the area of 277 Road near Montney, BC. Numerous suspects were reported to be with the stolen pickup along with other vehicles.
Reports also included that the multiple suspects had pointed firearms at the civilians who had located them.
Fort St John RCMP frontline police officers attended the location and set up contained in the area where it was believed only the suspects remained.
Due to the reports of firearms present and to enhance safety for all parties involved, the North
District Emergency Response Team (ERT) was called in to assist with locating and arresting the individuals. Fort St John RCMP also called in a partner civilian drone operator to assist in locating the individuals.
Five individuals were arrested in the area, including Gavin Davis, who was arrested on his outstanding warrants.
Three vehicles were seized including the stolen truck from the initial report.
The Fort St John RCMP did an outstanding job responding to this high-risk incident involving armed suspects. Their swift actions and containment of the area ensured the safety of civilians at the scene and led to the arrest of five individuals without incident," said Acting Officer In Charge of the Fort St John Detachment, Jaime Moffat. "Though this event was safely resolved it is a reminder that if you witness suspicious activity, please call the police rather than confront the suspects yourself, as public safety is paramount to the Fort St John RCMP.
All five individuals remain in police custody at the time of writing and are scheduled to appear before a judge later today.
The Fort St John RCMP continue to investigate and are asking anyone who has information in this matter to contact the Fort St John RCMP at 250-787-8100. Should you wish to remain anonymous, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.northernbccrimestoppers.ca.
Information provided by Fort St. John RCMP