Police chase, stand-off and rescue lead to arrest
By Kyra Hoggan
Castlegar RCMP have a local man in custody after an alleged assault led to two police chases and a stand-off that ended in the suspect throwing himself from a Trail bridge.
RCMP Cpl. Mike Mysko said July 9 saw police responding to a home near Castlegar’s city centre after reports of an assault at about 9 p.m., only to find the suspect had fled the residence.
Shortly thereafter, the suspect was spotted heading toward Trail on Columbia Avenue, but when West Kootenay Traffic Services members attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspect refused to stop and began to “drive erratically in a manner that actually placed the public at risk,” according to Mysko.
Mysko said police broke off pursuit to protect other motorists, instead alerting Trail police and giving them a description of the vehicle headed their way.
Trail RCMP members deployed a spike belt, which the suspect evaded before stopping the vehicle and proceeding on foot to Old Trail Bridge, where he climbed over the railing and engaged in a “lengthy” standoff as police tried to negotiate him to safety.
The standoff ended when the suspect jumped from the bridge and into the Columbia River, swimming to a Trail fire rescue boat that was waiting in the water to affect a rescue.
The man was taken to hospital and later released into police custody.
Castlegar resident Kelly Gyurkovits, 38, will appear in court today (July 15) facing charges of assault, failure to comply with a recognizance, two counts of causing a police pursuit and dangerous driving.
Gyurkovits is also still facing charges in connection with an incident in August of last year, in which a police car was stolen, an officer injured, and gunfire exchanged with police near Columbia Avenue in Castlegar.
Comments