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01/20/19 Calgary, CAN – Southern Alberta Institute Of Technology – Stolen While On Call For Suspicious Person – Police Helicopter And Undercover Units Arrest Man As He Attempts To Elude Capture
A man hopped into a police SUV and sped off, evading capture for 30 minutes before the vehicle was trapped in a SAIT parkade on Monday.
The drama began about 1:25 p.m. when the marked police vehicle was taken near 28th Avenue and 14th Street S.W. after an officer responded to the area for reports of a suspicious person.
Police said the officer parked the vehicle on the side of the road and exited to speak to a group of individuals, when one of them allegedly hopped in the SUV and drove off.
Using the HAWCS police helicopter and undercover units, officer were able to track the stolen vehicle as the driver attempted to elude capture.
It’s confirmed no firearms were left in the vehicle when it was taken.
The stolen SUV was safely contained in a parking structure on Dr. Carpenter Circle N.W. using covert units, and one man was taken into custody without incident.
SAIT student Adrian Edwards was just about to leave campus when he entered the parking garage and saw his vehicle had been blocked off by about half a dozen vehicles including the stolen cruiser.
“It was weird at first because it was all unmarked cars . . . and then I realized they were all police cars,” Edwards said.
The vehicle theft is now under investigation by the police traffic unit. The service it is reviewing the circumstances around the car’s theft and ways to prevent a similar incident in the future.