Saskatoon police provide Mounties with help from the sky to track down suspect

A man is in police custody after an hours long search that required eyes in the sky.

On Tuesday afternoon, an SUV was allegedly stolen from the Prince Albert area.

The vehicle was reported to have guns in it and was found abandoned in a wooded area near Macdowall, roughly 30 km southwest of Prince Albert. Police then ended up getting calls indicating that a man was seen carrying a gun and walking southbound along a wooded trail on the edge of the Nisbet Forest.

RCMP officers responded to the area and began looking for the man with the help of police dogs.

After a search that lasted until the evening, Mounties reached out to the Saskatoon Police Service to see if they would be able to provide air support to help find the suspect.

The 35-year-old man in question was later found and arrested without incident in a heavily wooded area.

“The teamwork between all involved units and officers was ultimately what led this investigation to a safe resolution for everyone involved,”  Insp. Murray Chamberlin, North District RCMP Operations Officer said in a release. “Imagine being in full police uniform with all your safety equipment and gear on, running through the woods and down makeshift trails for six kilometers with an RCMP police service dog in the darkness.

“You’re being guided by partners in the air and supported by additional officers on the ground, running towards an individual who reportedly has a firearm. Challenging doesn’t begin to describe situations like this. I’m extremely proud of the work of everyone involved and so thankful the situation ended without further incident.”

The man has been arrested and is facing four gun-related charges.

The man also had multiple outstanding warrants from Melfort RCMP and Prince Albert Police Service. He appeared in court and was remanded for Aug 26 in Prince Albert.