A Swoop Airlines Flight Had To Be Redirected During A High-Speed Police Chase In BC (VIDEO)

There was even a helicopter involved.

Editor

A Swoop Airlines flight had to be diverted because of a high-speed police chase in B.C., and it even involved a helicopter.

On February 9 at 11:36 a.m. a vehicle with mismatched licence plates was spotted and then followed by the RCMP Air 1 Police Helicopter.

The Abbotsford Police Department then also tracked down the vehicle, which police confirmed was stolen.

In a news release, police said that they attempted to stop the car — a blue Chevrolet Equinox — but said that the driver fled. Once the driver sped off, police ground units started their pursuit.

The RCMP helicopter continued to follow the vehicle, which police said was being driven "dangerously throughout Abbotsford."

To top off the intense situation, an incoming Swoop Airlines flight had to be redirected in order for the helicopter to continue its chase.

The helicopter needed to follow the suspect vehicle in areas that were within the flight path for the Abbotsford Airport, police said.

The Air 1 helicopter followed the vehicle from Abbotsford to Langley.

"During this time, the suspect driver was observed driving into oncoming traffic to pass vehicles, drove on the shoulder of the roadway, disregarded red lights and stop signs, and was driving at high speeds putting other motorists at risk," police said.


An hour after the start of the pursuit, the vehicle collided with a police car in Langley. Although the suspect driving the vehicle was not injured, an innocent bystander was.

A construction worker who was working in the area of the collision sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Despite the collision, the suspect was able to drive for a little longer, eventually getting out of the vehicle and fleeing from the police on foot.

With the help of the Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service and the Langley RCMP, the suspect was taken into custody.

James Gordon, 39, from Surrey, has been charged in connection with the incident. Gordon was charged with flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property over $5000, breach of probation, and prohibited driving.

This article's left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Editor

    Morgan Leet (she/her) is an Editor for Narcity Media Group. After graduating from Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, she jumped into fulfilling her dream as a journalist, merging her passion for travelling with writing. She got her start working in the print media world on Canada’s East Coast, then joined Narcity with a move to B.C., leading the launch of West Coast coverage. Her focus now is managing a large group of freelance writers, bringing human-forward and opinion content to the site.

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