According to Evansburg RCMP, an individual with “an extensive criminal history” in central Alberta has been arrested following citizen reports of a suspicious vehicle.
On the evening of Oct. 15, Evansburg RCMP received a report from a concerned citizen about a suspicious vehicle on a back road in Yellowhead County. Officers patrolled the area and found the vehicle, at which point the driver allegedly rammed the RCMP vehicle in an attempt to escape.
Police continued to track the vehicle while additional members arrived from the Evansburg detachment, as well as Mayerthorpe RCMP, Drayton Valley RCMP, and Parkland RCMP. The operation was overseen by the Alberta RCMP Real Time Operation Centre (RTOC).
RCMP disabled the vehicle and utilized Alberta RCMP Police Dog Services to track down the suspect, who reportedly fled on foot.
As a result, 32-year-old Jesse Haarstad, of no fixed address, has been arrested. Police say he is not known to be from the area, but is well known by enforcement services in central Alberta. In addition to this incident’s charges, officers executed two arrest warrants based out of Lacombe and Hinton.
In relation to the Oct. 15 incident, Haarstad was charged with:
- Flight from police officer
- Assault with a weapon on police officer
- Dangerous operation of motor vehicle
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Possess break-in instruments
- Mischief under $5,000
- Failure to comply with probation
He was brought before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody. He appeared before the Alberta Court of Justice in St. Albert on Oct. 20, 2025 and was once again remanded, to appear before the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer on Oct. 27.
“I would like to thank the members of the public who called in their concerns,” commented Sgt. Jeff Sutherland, Detachment Commander, Evansburg RCMP. “Thanks to these calls, we were able to locate this prolific offender and arrest him, potentially preventing further crimes from taking place. We encourage the public to keep partnering with us in keeping our community safe by calling in suspicious activity.”
