5 arrested after allegedly drugged driver speeds stolen Alta. SUV in B.C. community, police say

A black Volkswagen Taos is seen in an image shared by B.C. Highway Patrol following five arrests in Prince George on Jan. 28, 2026.

Authorities arrested five suspects this week during a chaotic incident that began when a stolen SUV with Alberta plates was spotted “driving dangerously” in northern B.C.–and which resulted in an innocent woman being surrounded by armed RCMP officers.

The black Volkswagen Taos was first reported to law enforcement early Wednesday afternoon while heading southbound on Highway 97 near Bear Lake.

When an officer tried pulling the SUV over, the driver took off at “high speed,” B.C. Highway Patrol said in a news release Thursday.

“Multiple attempts were made to stop the vehicle, including a spike belt that deflated two tires, but the vehicle continued driving,” BCHP said.

The SUV was eventually stopped and abandoned in Prince George, near Nelson Road.

“Five occupants ran away, with two of them allegedly breaking into a home while a resident was inside,” Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said in a statement. “Police quickly arrested all five suspects, and all five are being held in custody. Now we need more witnesses and dash camera video for the next phase of the investigation.”

Two of the suspects, a 37-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, are from Dawson Creek, while another is a 27-year-old man from Fort St. John. The other two suspects–a 26-year-old man and a 28-year-old man–have no fixed address, authorities said.

BCHP said one suspect suffered “minor injuries” from a police dog during the arrest, but that no one else was hurt during the incident.

None of the suspects’ names have been released as authorities continue investigating alleged offences including dangerous driving, drug-impaired driving, possession of stolen property, break-and-enter, and breach of probation, BCHP said.

Members of the Prince George RCMP were also involved in the response, and at one point boxed in a parked vehicle belonging to local school trustee Erica McLean.

McLean posted about the incident on Facebook this week, recounting that officers approached her with guns drawn and put her in handcuffs.

“This incident has left me feeling afraid, overwhelmed and angry,” she wrote. “As an elected official, a leader in community and sport, and an Indigenous woman, I believe it is my responsibility to examine how the decisions were made that led to the use of force for a woman leaving a drive-thru.”

She also said the officers damaged her car while boxing her in with other vehicles.

In a statement Thursday addressing “social media concerns,” Prince George RCMP acknowledged officers conducted what they had “determined to be a high-risk vehicle stop,” and briefly arrested an innocent person.

“We have been in contact with the driver several times since this incident occurred,” said Sgt. Dan Morris, commander of the detachment’s Street Crew Unit, which was involved in the incident.

“We have had the opportunity to explain what occurred to lead our police officers to believe hers was the vehicle we were looking for and have offered support from our Victim Services Unit and our detachment.”