Three people are facing a slew of charges after RCMP found a home fully engulfed in flames in the community of Little Red River before a police chase that saw an RCMP vehicle rammed on Friday morning. According to a release from Prince Albert RCMP, around 7:20 a.m. on July 18, officers responded to a fire at a residence in Little Red River, where they found a home fully engulfed in flames. Investigation determined that individuals known to the occupants had entered the home, discharged bear spray, took various items and ignited a fire before fleeing in a vehicle. RCMP located three people matching suspect descriptions around 8 a.m. on Sturgeon Lake First Nation. “As the police cruiser approached and officers activated their vehicle’s emergency equipment, the individuals fled in two vehicles – a car and a truck,” the release said. According to RCMP, as the truck continued to flee police, the car rammed a fully marked occupied RCMP cruiser multiple times before driving off. During the subsequent pursuit of both vehicles, an item was thrown from the car, with a loaded sawed-off rifle and magazine later being recovered by police. RCMP said the car then came to a stop and two people were arrested. While searching the vehicle, police seized a butane torch lighter, bear mace, an edged weapon, ammunition and stolen property, the release said. RCMP did not say if officers were able to successfully locate the truck. As a result, a 26-year-old woman and 28-year-old man from Sturgeon Lake First Nation and a 20-year-old woman from Prince Albert are jointly facing a total of nine charges including flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and unsafe storage of a firearm. The 26-year-old woman faces an additional nine charges including arson, assault with a weapon and robbery. The 28-year-old man is facing four additional charges of breaking and entering, robbery and two counts of failing to comply with a probation order. RCMP said two occupants of the home set on fire were taken to hospital by EMS with injuries described as non-life threatening. The officer in the RCMP cruiser that was rammed was not hurt, the release said. Little Red River, Sask. is about 40 kilometres north of Prince Albert.
