A Morinville RCMP officer was injured early Tuesday morning (July 29) after conducting a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle.
The incident occurred at 12:30 a.m. at the Shell gas station in Gibbons, where the vehicle was parked.
Cpl. Troy Savinkoff with the RCMP media relations team said the officer ran the plates and found that the license plate was stolen.
“He had indicated still that he knew, at the very least, that the license plate had come back stolen out of Woodland County,” said Savinkoff. “It turned out the whole vehicle and the plate was stolen.”
Body camera footage released by the RCMP shows the officer approaching the front passenger door of the truck, which was open.
Savinkoff explained that the officer approached the truck to detain the four people sitting inside and clearly stated to the individuals that he knew the truck and license plate was stolen and asked for IDs. The driver then put the truck into reverse and tried to drive away.
“The passenger door is open, and you're now wedged between the door and the vehicle that's coming back towards you,” Savinkoff said. “So it didn't leave the officer many options other than kind of leaping into that vehicle as much as he could.”
Savinkoff said that the driver continued to back up, but the officer was able to disengage the vehicle from gear and pull the keys from the ignition as the truck hit some small trees.
While attempting to arrest the individuals, the driver reached between the seats and pulled out a shotgun, exited the vehicle and then threw the shotgun into the bed of the truck.
The officer sustained only minor injuries to his legs and was able to return to work the next day, said Savinkoff.
When searching the people and the truck, the RCMP found small amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, a false bill of sale and a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition.
Four people were arrested and charged, and all were set to remain in custody before appearing in the Alberta Court of Justice in Morinville on July 31.
The driver, 42-year-old Ryan Calvin Grant of Onoway was charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000, four weapons offences, two counts of driving while prohibited, assaulting a police officer with a weapon, four counts of failing to comply with a condition of an undertaking and possession of a controlled substance.
Cassandra Joy Bruno, a 34-year-old resident of Alexander First Nation, is charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5000, possession of stolen property under $5000, four weapons offences, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a forged document.
Michael James Racicot, 38, who has no fixed address, faces charges of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, four weapons offences and three counts of failing to comply with a release order.
Jo-anna Elaine Nussey, a 42-year-old resident of Minburn, has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5000, four weapons offences, two counts of failing to comply with a probation order, failing to comply with a condition of undertaking and breach of a peace bond.
Sgt. Darcy McGunigal, detachment commander of Morinville RCMP, said that while Alberta has seen a recent 18 per cent decrease in stolen vehicles and an overall drop in the Crime Severity Index, arrests like this are a reminder of the risks officers face daily in confronting repeat and violent offenders.
“Every day, there are on average 2.2 acts of violence against Alberta RCMP officers,” said McGunigal. “Since 2023, assaults on police involving weapons or causing bodily harm have increased by 23 per cent.”
