On the evening of March 17th, Sgt. Barry Kennedy of the Chase RCMP department responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on CP Rail property near the Trans-Canada Highway. Rumors were buzzing that someone had hidden stolen cars in the vicinity, prompting an investigation.
Upon their arrival, though, officers drove straight over a malicious device that had been planted in an unsuspecting puddle nearby. The homemade tire deflation device was made from metal with jagged teeth cut into it and welded together in an X shape – designed to inflict maximum damage and thereby sabotage any law enforcement efforts. Unfortunately for Sgt. Kennedy’s team, their cruiser was badly damaged by this trap and had to be taken out of service for several days while repairs were completed. During this time, the Chase RCMP detachment was prevented from helping out with community tasks as they normally would have done.
An extensive search of the area yielded no evidence of any stolen vehicles being present on CP Rail property – but police discovered one thing: that there are those who will go to great lengths to disrupt law enforcement activities and impede justice. Therefore, Kennedy is warning people not to underestimate these dangerous obstacles when responding to calls related to criminal activity or other emergency matters.
