ROCKY VIEW— After becoming bogged down in deep snow while attempting to flee a rural property in a stolen vehicle an alleged thief traded gunfire with a concerned neighbour who tried to intervene.
At roughly 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 26 Airdrie RCMP received reports of a vehicle theft in progress coming from a property west of Airdrie in Rocky View County off of Range Road 25. The incident drew responses from multiple detachments, including Cochrane, Airdrie and Red Deer, as well as special units based in Calgary.
The homeowner reported the suspect was still on the property inside the stolen vehicle and that he was stuck in the driveway.
As police were en-route, a neighbour arrived and approached the suspect. As he neared, the suspect fired a shot at both the property owner and the neighbour, RCMP said, when the neighbour returned fire in self-defence.
No one was injured during the exchange.
The alleged thief, 32-year-old Blaine Elliot Manywounds, abandoned the stolen vehicle and fled on foot.
“The male suspect had left the area where the shooting occurred and was on foot, so members set up containment and waited for the Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services to arrive,” said Airdrie RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney.
Both units responded from Calgary.
Slaney said she is not sure how far the suspect managed to make it on foot, but said it was not far from the initial site of the theft and shooting.
“We had eyes on him most of the time when we were doing containment,” she said.
When Police Dog Services and the Emergency Response Team arrived, they confronted the fleeing suspect.
Slaney said the officers gave Manywounds verbal commands, but he refused to comply.
He was eventually taken down by the police dogs and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
“It’s a blessing to be where we are to have such great resources,” she said of two Calgary-based units called in. “The response from all police officers attending was quick, efficient and safe. There couldn’t have been a better ending.”
Manywounds has been charged with 11 criminal code offences including theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm while prohibited, obstructing a police officer, break and enter and theft, discharging a firearm with intent, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and more.
Manywounds has been remanded into custody and will be appearing in Airdrie Provincial Court on Feb. 11 at 9 a.m.
Anyone who has information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Airdrie RCMP at 403-945-7200 or their local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at P3Tips.com or by using the "P3 Tips" app available through the Apple App or Google Play store.
