By Ian Holmes

Shot fired by RCMP during chaotic traffic stop south of Nanaimo

Apr 4, 2018 | 6:19 PM

NANAIMO — A routine traffic stop escalated to a shot fired from an RCMP officer in pursuit of a suspect in Ladysmith.

The chaos started just before 11:00 a.m. Tuesday when a Ladysmith RCMP officer was on patrol toward the end of Shell Beach Rd., according to Staff Sgt. Ken Brassard.

He said the Mountie learned a vehicle parked at Elliot Beach Park, near Stz’uminus Community School, was reported stolen from Nanaimo the day prior.

Brassard said the officer informed the driver and lone occupant he was under arrest.

“He refused to follow the orders of the officers, then elected to take off and during that, one shot was fired by one RCMP member.”

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Brassard said the suspect, a 22-year-old Nanaimo man, was arrested 15 minutes later without incident and nobody was injured.

He credited Stz’uminus community members, who told police where the abandoned suspect vehicle was.

Brassard told NanaimoNewsNOW he isn’t in a position to say why a shot was fired, noting Island District RCMP officers have taken over the investigation.

“I can’t speak to that, that information will certainly come out during the investigation.”

The incident spawned a massive response from Nanaimo and Ladysmith RCMP tasked with finding the suspect.

ian@NanaimoNewsNow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes