Officer injured/thief arrested after police chase sparked by savvy Rosslanders
By Kyra Hoggan
Thanks to a pair of observant Rossland residents, a prolific thief is spending the next 15 months in jail, according to Trail RCMP Sgt. Daren Oelke.
“Just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, two Rossland residents came across a male driving what they believed to be a stolen vehicle out of Christina Lake,” Oelke said.“They recognized the stolen red Suzuki Sidekick from a Facebook post they had seen earlier.
“When police attempted to close in on the car thief in the Centennial Trail parking lot, the driver took off on foot. One officer was injured chasing the male over a steep embankment and the male escaped into the City of Rossland.”
Oelke said the thief then stole a child’s mountain bike and tried to make his escape down the Rossland hill.
“Police caught up with (him) near Warfield and followed him into Trail, but he refused to give up,” Oelke said.”He ditched the stolen bike near Rossland Avenue and made his escape into West Trail on foot.
The man was identified as Clayton Archie Bone, 28 years old, from Kimberley, B.C.
“A tip from the public directed police to where Bone was hiding and he was arrested early Sunday morning without further incident,” Oelke said. “Bone appeared in Nelson Provincial Court yesterday and pled guilty to possession of the stolen vehicle, flight from the police, and uttering threats to harm a police officer.”
Bone received 15 months in jail.
“Communities in the Kootenay Boundary, especially Beaver Valley and Fruitvale, have seen a dramatic increase in property related offences, especially theft of vehicles, over the last few weeks,” Oelke concluded. “Police are confident that, with Bone in custody, the property crimes will decrease”.
