A man is facing nearly two dozen charges, after he allegedly hit a number of vehicles, including a police cruiser, as he tried to flee RCMP in a stolen vehicle Friday evening.
Red Deer RCMP said officers on patrol spotted the suspicious vehicle, with a stolen licence plate, just before 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 16.
Police tracked the vehicle from a distance until it parked in front of a business on 50 Avenue in Red Deer, and officers moved to block it in.
When a police vehicle pulled in behind the suspect truck, it accelerated and reversed quickly, a number of times, crashing into the window of the business and the police cruiser, and a number of other parked vehicles around it.
The truck nearly hit a number of officers who were on foot around it.
No one was injured, but the truck caused significant damage to the storefront, six parked vehicles and the police cruiser.
The suspect was identified and police located him, and the suspicious truck parked at an apartment building. The area was contained by police with support from Police Dog Services. The suspect was located in one of the apartments. He was arrested without incident.
The truck used in the incident was reported stolen out of Red Deer on March 4, after it was left unlocked and running. Police said it sustained heavy damage as a result of the crash.
RCMP said Jesse James Leckner, 27, is facing a total of 16 charges in relation to this incident: including charges of possession of stolen property over $5,000, and possession of stolen property under $5,000, a charge of resisting a peace officer, two counts of assault on police and eight counts of failure to stop or remain at the scene of a collision.
Leckner has also been charged in connection to incidents involving a stolen truck, flight from police, and two reported gas and dash incidents between February 5 and 24, those charges include: failure to stop for police, failure to comply with probation, and two counts of theft under $5,000.
