Spirit River RCMP have charged a 30-year-old man after responding to a call on October 12, 2018.
RCMP were called to a rural property south of town around 3 p.m. after a complainant reported a man trespassing on their neighbor’s property. The suspect drove off in a vehicle when he was confronted, and the complainant dialed 9-1-1, got into their vehicle and followed him.
Police say that after some time, the suspect stopped his vehicle and began shooting a handgun at the complainant following him. The shots managed to hit the complainants vehicle but didn’t injure him.
The suspect then drove south until he came across a vehicle pulling into a rural property. The suspect followed the vehicle to the rural residence where he then pointed his gun at the male driver and demanded his vehicle. A female passenger took the keys and ran inside the residence, not wanting to give the keys to the suspect while her four-year-old daughter was still in the back seat. Police say the suspect fired a shot inside the residence that missed the woman after demanding the vehicle keys, after which she gave the keys to the suspect and dialed 9-1-1.
During the altercation with the suspect and the woman, the male driver went inside the residence and retrieved a long gun. The man went outside with his long gun and confronted the suspect who was transferring stolen items from one vehicle to another. After telling the suspect to drop his weapon and surrender, the suspect began firing multiple shots at the man. The man fired his long rifle back at the suspect, and every shot fired by the suspect and the man had missed. Police say none of the victims throughout the whole incident were injured.
After the shooting, the suspect fled on foot. RCMP then arrived and contained the area. With the help of RCMP from Grande Prairie, Fairview and Police Dog Services, the suspect was arrested a short time later without incident.
Ian Preston Letendre of no fixed address is facing 25 Criminal Code Charges which include:
- Break and Enter
- Discharge firearm with intent to endanger life
- Pointing a firearm
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Armed robbery
“This was a dynamic situation where the suspect’s actions posed an imminent threat to rural residents. With the support of area residents and the collaboration of responding RCMP members, we were able to bring the incident to a quick resolution where thankfully no one was injured,” said Sgt. Ryan Frost, Spirit River Detachment Commander.
Letendre appeared in Grande Prairie Provincial Court yesterday.
