A 62-year-old man is in custody after allegedly stealing a trackhoe and using it to target the RCMP detachment in Bonnyville, Alta., ramming five police vehicles and dumping boulders in front of the building.
Mounties say the bizarre and destructive incident began around 6:55 p.m. on May 3, when a trackhoe was stolen from a local business. The suspect, later identified as David Merko of Bonnyville, is alleged to have driven the machine through a fence before heading toward the nearby detachment.
Investigators say Merko picked up large rocks along the route and dropped them in front of the detachment’s prisoner bay, an apparent attempt to obstruct emergency response. He then allegedly drove the machine into five parked, unoccupied RCMP vehicles, making them inoperable, before fleeing on foot.
Multiple RCMP units were quickly deployed, including police dog services from St. Paul, a drone team from Cold Lake, and members of the Eastern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit. The RCMP’s Real Time Operations Centre (RTOC) helped coordinate the search in real time.
Police say the suspect was located shortly afterward, hiding in a tree line northwest of the detachment. During the arrest, he resisted and was bitten by a police dog before being taken into custody and treated for minor injuries at hospital.
Merko has been charged with 13 Criminal Code offences, including dangerous driving, six counts of mischief over $5,000, break and enter, possession of stolen property over $5,000, theft over $5,000, two counts of resisting a peace officer, and uttering threats.
RCMP allege the uttering threats charge stems from an April 17 incident in which Merko called Saskatchewan’s Operational Communications Centre and threatened to kill RCMP officers.
Following a judicial hearing, Merko was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Bonnyville on May 6.
“This incident has garnered a lot of attention on social media, and unfortunately, many of the comments are negative—some even expressing disappointment that officers weren’t injured,” said Staff Sgt. Sarah Parke, commander of the Bonnyville detachment. “It is extremely disheartening to see these types of comments.”
Parke emphasized that the attack appeared to be directed at police, not the public. She added that officers from neighbouring detachments responded without hesitation to ensure public safety and support the ongoing operations in Bonnyville.
The Alberta RCMP say violence toward officers continues to rise, with an average of 2.3 incidents per day in 2023. Last year, 70 RCMP officers in Alberta were injured in use-of-force incidents.
“No one was injured during this incident,” said Parke. “And for that, we are thankful.”
