An Oliver man faces a number of charges after an incident in which a police vehicle was rammed and a spike belt had to be deployed.
Osoyoos RCMP said the incident occurred minutes before midnight on Friday when police stopped a stolen 1994 Toyota Camry on 87th Street in Osoyoos.
As the police officer pulled in behind the stolen vehicle, the suspect shifted into reverse and rammed the front end of the police vehicle, causing damage. The officer was not injured.
The suspect then fled northbound toward Oliver in the stolen vehicle. A pursuit began and, with the assistance of Oliver RCMP, a spike belt was deployed on Main Street in Oliver rendering the stolen vehicle immobile.
The suspect then fled on foot through yards before he was apprehended by pursuing officers, Osoyoos RCMP said.
Derek Ledgard, 21, of Oliver, was arrested and held in custody over the weekend.
Ledgard appeared in provincial court in Penticton on Tuesday to face one count of theft under $5,000, one count of using a weapon (the vehicle) to strike an occupied police vehicle, one count of flight from police, one count of dangerous driving and one count of resisting arrest.
Ledgard was scheduled to make another appearance in court on Wednesday.
He also faces charges of breaching probation.
“The officer was fortunate he was not injured in this high-risk incident,” said Cpl. Jason Bayda of the Osoyoos RCMP.
