ON Friday, May 31, shortly before 6:15 p.m., a motorcycle with no licence plate was observed travelling at a high rate of speed while weaving in and out of traffic along Coast Meridian Road near David Avenue in Coquitlam.

To ensure public and police officer safety, Coquitlam RCMP asked for assistance from the RCMP Air Services helicopter – Air 1 – to locate the suspect from a safe distance and reduce police response time.

Air 1 was nearby and quickly located the motorcycle as it travelled through multiple jurisdictions including Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam

The Lower Mainland Urban Patrol helicopter provides daily support to RCMP detachments in the course of their regular duties. In this particular situation, Air 1 was able to assist with traffic safety and FLIR (Forward-Looking InfraRed) searches.

“The driver exhibited extremely dangerous driving behaviour with little regard for the safety of others,” said Media Relations Officer, Cpl. Alexa Hodgins. “Through a coordinated effort between Air 1 and Coquitlam RCMP, police were able to safely locate and arrest the suspect.”

She noted that the situation could have easily had deadly consequences, but by utilizing Air 1, officers were able to reduce the risk to the public while continuously tracking the offender.

Police are recommending Motor Vehicle Act and Criminal Code charges.