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Suspects caught after high-speed chase in Banff

BANFF – A police dog team took a bite out of crime in Banff National Park earlier this week. On Tuesday (April 2), an RCMP dog team located two suspects in the woods near Lake Minnewanka following a high-speed chase in downtown Banff hours earlier.
FREELANCE PHOTO – A COST IS INVOLVEDCraig Douce RMO photo
On Tuesday (April 2), an RCMP dog team located two suspects in the woods near Lake Minnewanka (pictured) following a high-speed chase in downtown Banff hours earlier.

BANFF – A police dog team took a bite out of crime in Banff National Park earlier this week.

On Tuesday (April 2), an RCMP dog team located two suspects in the woods near Lake Minnewanka following a high-speed chase in downtown Banff hours earlier.

"The vehicle failed to stop for our members on Banff Avenue and it went northbound out of town," said Banff RCMP Staff Sgt. Michael Buxton-Carr.

Buxton-Carr estimated the vehicle reached a speed of 80 kilometres per hour along Banff Avenue during the early hours of the morning during the pursuit.

"We did try stop them at the lights, but then [RCMP] backed away," he said.

The officers noticed instead of going onto the highway, the fleeing vehicle continued straight to Lake Minnewanka. Following the suspects, RCMP officers found the abandoned vehicle concealed in the forest and used RCMP dogs to help find the suspects.

"We found the vehicle right away, but [for the suspects] it was a matter of tracking them, the dogs tracking them and it took awhile. They were quite cold when we found them," Butxon-Carr said.

One of the suspects was bitten during the apprehension and treated for minor injuries in the hospital before being released back into RCMP custody.

Jonathan Bartram, 37, from Calgary was charged with 23 offences including possession of weapon for a dangerous purpose, possession of methamphetamine, possessions of break-in instruments and possession of property obtained by crime.

Athena Krause, 34, from Calgary was also arrested with the same charges plus additional outstanding warrants from Airdrie and Calgary, which involved offences of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime and failure to attend court.

"We are finding [methamphetamine] and I've heard it's being found in the Calgary area quite frequently and it's not uncommon to find it here in Banff as well," Buxton-Carr said.

Buxton-Carr said the methamphetamine amounts Bartram and Krause had on them was not enough to be charged for trafficking.

The preliminary investigation also resulted in the recovery of a truck which had been stolen in Calgary, as well as stolen property including tools, jewelry, identity documents, firearms and ammunition.

Krause will appear in Calgary for her charges and Bartram will appear in Canmore Provincial Court.

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