A suspect charged with multiple offences following an incident on May 6 that resulted in an altercation with RCMP and left a house destroyed by fire was apprehended in Edmonton last Monday.
Nineteen-year-old Suede Brandon Batoche, a resident of Kehewin Cree Nation, was tracked down to an apartment block in Edmonton where Bonnyville RCMP members, assisted by the Edmonton Police Service Tactical Unit, arrested him without incident.
Among the many charges, Batoche was alleged to have pointed a firearm at police, assaulted police officers and started a fire that destroyed a nearby house before fleeing.
According to police reports, officers were initially responding to a call made regarding an assault and upon locating Batoche, RCMP said he immediately became confrontational and failed to comply with police demands.
Canada wide warrants had been obtained for Batoche prior to his arrest and Bonnyville RCMP Staff Sgt. Luis Gandolfi said he was pleased to be able to bring the manhunt to a close.
“This concludes a lengthy and rigorous investigation by our members,” Gandolfi said in a press release. “We were assisted by a number of police services, units and nearby detachments throughout the past few weeks, and I would like to thank them for their efforts.”
Batoche is slated to appear in Bonnyville court via CCTV from the Edmonton Remand on June 18.
