Police say a man suspected of stealing a boat from Port Hardy on Sunday led them on a chase for over an hour in the dark before the boat was run aground by officers and the man was arrested.
After the fishing boat was reported stolen, it was spotted south of Prince Rupert on Monday, the RCMP’s West Coast Marine Services said.
When police tried to intercept the vessel, the 25-year-old suspect did not stop, attempting to dodge police by firing flares, threatening them over the radio, and trying to ram another police vessel, the Mounties said.
Cpl. Jeff Haney, acting sergeant with the specialized marine RCMP unit, said in a statement that the incident “endangered everyone on the water, including the suspect, responding officers and all other marine traffic.
“We are glad this situation was safely resolved with the suspect being taken into custody, and nobody getting injured,” he said.
The incident is under investigation, and charges against the man will be recommended, police said.
