An Edmonton driver caused chaos on Morinville roads last Wednesday morning.
RCMP have charged Eric Steven Brown, 34, with eight crimes, including assaulting a police officer, dangerous driving, flight from police, resisting arrest, weapons offences and identity theft.
Around 3:30 a.m., Morinville RCMP received a call that a driver in a red truck was tailgating, driving down the middle of the road, changing speeds erratically, flashing his lights, passing vehicles on the shoulder of the road and slamming on his brakes, said RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff.
Confronted by police, Brown stopped the truck in the middle of the road at the intersection of Highway 642 and Highway 28. He edged the truck forward, then immediately reversed, striking a police vehicle that was on his tail, Savinkoff said. Brown allegedly did this twice.
“I think the damage was fairly minor,” Savinkoff said. “When you're positioned very close, damage wouldn't be significant, but certainly dangerous.”
Brown then pulled the truck over to the side of the road. When approached by the police, he started swinging, punching officers and refusing to leave the vehicle, according to an RCMP press release.
“Despite the deployment of a taser and [pepper] spray, [the suspect] was able to put his vehicle into drive and attempt to drive away,” the release says.
RCMP tasered Brown twice. Both Brown and the RCMP officers received “very minor” injuries from the altercation, Savinkoff said.
RCMP had to use their vehicles to push the truck Brown was driving into a ditch.
Upon searching the truck, police found a Chiappa Little Badger 22 caliber rifle. They also discovered a driver’s license that didn’t belong to Brown, and the owner of the license did not know Brown, Savinkoff said.
Brown is from the Edmonton area. He does not have a fixed address.
The car did not belong to Brown, but it was not a stolen vehicle, Savinkoff said.
Brown appeared in St. Albert provincial court on Monday morning. He told a provincial court justice that he would need at least another two weeks to prepare a bail application.
He will appear in Morinville provincial court on March 21.