On camera: Regina police plane assists in high-speed chase leading to arrests

During a fly along with the Regina Police Service (RPS) Aerial Support Unit (ASU), CTV News captured officers in a high-speed chase.

The pursuit included Indian Head and White Butte RCMP who got assistance from their eye in the sky.

“Air support is very much a team environment,” said ASU pilot Sgt. Steve Wyatt. “We provide [ground officers] with real-time information but we can’t act on it.”

According to Saskatchewan RCMP, Mounties received a call around 1 p.m. on March 18 for a vehicle stuck in the snow near Kendal, Sask.

“Officers responded and while en route observed the described vehicle driving on a grid road,” RCMP said in a media release. “When police approached, the vehicle suddenly sped up significantly.”

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The officer engaged their emergency lights and attempted a traffic stop but the vehicle did not stop.

A few hours later, the same vehicle was reported suspicious near McLean, Sask.

Again, it sped off when officers approached.

The ASU was called in to help track the vehicle.

The plane is equipped with a camera with extreme zoom capabilities and infrared technology allowing the ASU to have eyes on a scene in seconds.

“We can be watching a person or vehicle from seven or eight kilometers away,” ASU Tactical Flight Officer Const. Corrie Neufeld explained.

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RPS says the view from above and the high coverage area reduces the need for officers on the ground to pursue people or cars.

“If we’re on scene immediately, our catch rate is approximately 100 per cent,” said pilot Sgt. Steve Wyatt.

RCMP chased the vehicle down grid roads, and the suspects often diverted through fields and ditches as they fled.

While Mounties were unable to catch the car, the ASU had eyes on it the entire time.

Then the suspects hit the Trans-Canada Highway and weaved through cars reaching speeds over 160km/h.

“That was independent of police action on the ground,” Const. Neufeld said. “We were able to follow it safely from the air and not put any of our members at risk.”

The police plane tracked the vehicle into Regina.

Const. Neufeld guided patrol officers to make the arrests.

“It’s really rewarding,” she said. “In most cases, [the suspects] would have gotten away without the plane being involved.”

“We would not have been in any sort of pursuit with this vehicle due to the dangerous actions of it,” Neufeld added.

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Two people, consisting of a 34-year old man from Regina and a female youth were charged in connection with this incident.

They were each charged with two counts of flight from a peace officer, one count of resisting or obstructing a peace officer, one count of mischief over $5,000, one count of mischief under $5,000 and one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

The man also was given an additional charge for failing to comply with a probation order.

He made his first court appearance on March 25 while the youth made hers the following day.