A Kamloops man appeared in court on July 9 after a police chase through the Ashcroft and Cache Creek areas, and is facing four Criminal Code charges.
At approximately 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 8, Ashcroft RCMP tried to conduct a traffic stop when they spotted a vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway near Ashcroft which was speeding and had no front licence plate. The vehicle failed to stop and tried to evade police.
During the course of the incident one of the occupants of the vehicle displayed a firearm and pointed it at the officer. As a result, the vehicle was pursued through Cache Creek and then north to the Bonaparte Reserve area. The police pursuit was ended there, but the search for the vehicle continued.
Later on the evening of July 8 Ashcroft police, with the help of the RCMP Air 4 helicopter, located the vehicle, which had been abandoned in a rural area near Cache Creek after getting stuck in mud. The two occupants were not in the vehicle, but one of the men was later located and arrested.
Matthew Bouwknecht, who is in his thirties and whose last known area of residence is Kamloops, has been charged with: without lawful excuse pointing a firearm; threatening to use a weapon (assault with a weapon); dangerous operation of a motor vehicle; and operating a motor vehicle in a manner to evade a peace officer.
The other unknown suspect is still at large. He is described as a male who appears to be in his twenties, wearing a black shirt and a black baseball cap, with short blond hair. Anyone with information as to his identity and/or whereabouts should call Ashcroft RCMP at (250) 453-2216, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477). All calls to Crimestoppers are anonymous.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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