Man charged after allegedly exchanging gunfire with police in Prince George, B.C.

The Prince George RCMP detachment is seen in this photo from its Facebook page. (Facebook/PrinceGeorgeRCMP)

Mounties in Prince George say a man has been charged after exchanging gunfire with officers earlier this week.

Tyler Cavan Suel has been charged with four counts of discharging a firearm with intent and one count each of pointing a firearm, careless use of a firearm, possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, possession of a weapon and flight from a peace officer while pursued, according to a news release from Prince George RCMP.

Police say they attempted to stop Suel during “proactive patrols” near East Perry Road around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

They allege Suel fired at police from his vehicle before fleeing the area.

The 39-year-old was located a short time later, prompting “a lengthy standoff wherein more gunfire was exchanged from both sides,” according to police.

The incident shut down Highway 16 east for several hours before the suspect was taken into custody and transported to hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Online court records indicate Suel’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 2 in Williams Lake. Police said he remains in custody.

“We are incredibly proud of the professional, co-ordinated and timely response our police officers had to this threatening and dynamic event,” said Insp. Chris Riddle, operations officer for Prince George RCMP, in the release.

“Even in the face of being shot at, all of those who responded to the call maintained their professionalism and saw the event through to a positive conclusion.”

In a separate statement Friday, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. – which investigates police use-of-force cases in the province – announced that it had completed its review of Suel’s arrest.

The IIO concluded that the suspect’s injuries did not meet the threshold of “serious harm,” as defined by B.C.’s Police Act, and closed its investigation.