By Geoff Smith

North Battleford car chase suspect pointed gun at police: RCMP

Jan 15, 2015 | 10:11 AM

It all happened in a few minutes, and decisions went back on forth on whether to pursue an armed, speeding driver in North Battleford Wednesday afternoon.

RCMP Sgt. Neil Tremblay said the initial pursuit in the hospital area ended quickly.

“When it became clear quite quickly that he accelerated and was driving erratically,” Tremblay said in an interview Thursday. “It was deemed, given the time of day and the number of people and pedestrians that can be expected at three in the afternoon on a Wednesday that it was not worth putting the lives of the members or anybody else in the public in jeopardy.”

However, Tremblay said it became a more dangerous situation when a gun was pointed at police.

“At that stage it becomes a much more elevated offence,” he said. “Now we’re talking about a subject who is armed, and we don’t know at that point who he is or what his intentions are, and now the public’s in danger for totally different reasons.”

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He said they tried to stop him again, at one point with a spike strip, but it was felt best to allow him to leave the city. Tremblay said he did so, heading south and/or west.

Tremblay says they were able to identify the suspect at close range, someone who’s known to police. They’re still looking for 24-year-old Gabriel Poundmaker.

He is described as aboriginal,  five feet, 11 inches, slim build, with black hair, brown eyes, and a black moustache and goatee. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, and has tattoos of his first and last names on his arms.

RCMP have provided the above photo, but say he now has longer facial hair.

The suspect car is a black Dodge Charger, four-door, with tinted windows and blacked out rims.

Poundmaker faces charges of pointing a gun, possession of a dangerous weapon and possession while prohibited, flight from police, and dangerous driving.

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