Quebec man, 53, stole salt truck, climbed tree to evade arrest after hourslong pursuit: police
Quebec provincial police (SQ) say a man led officers on a wild police chase spanning about 70 kilometres that started with a stolen salt truck and ended with the suspect climbing a tree to evade arrest.
The incident started at around 7:45 a.m. Friday when a 53-year-old man from Saint-Paul, in Quebec's Lanaudière region, left his home "intoxicated and in crisis," the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in a news release.
Officers with the MRC Joliette were called to arrest him after the salt truck was stolen on Lagarde Street. The SQ alleged the man was armed with a knife.
He then abandoned the truck about 24 kilometres west, in the town of Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan. There, he fled on foot and stole a large SUV, continuing on his way and prompting a chase by provincial and local police officers.
The pursuit ended about 40 kilometres southwest, in the City of Laval, when the suspect climbed a tree at around 10:30 a.m.
It took three hours of negotiations with officers before he came down a fire department ladder.
The SQ said he was arrested for fleeing the scene, dangerous driving, and theft of a vehicle and is scheduled to appear in court.
"His fitness for detention will be assessed. There were no injuries as a result of these events," the release said.
The police investigation is ongoing.
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