SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — A Kensington man who rammed a Summerside Police cruiser while trying to escape arrest has been sentenced.
Catlin James Myers, 25, of Kensington has pleaded guilty to several criminal charges related to the Feb. 9 incident.
The charges include one count of having control of a vehicle while also having a blood alcohol level above the legal limit, one count of dangerous driving, one count of failing to stop a vehicle when prompted to do so by police and one count of mischief, which relates to damaging the police vehicle. Two other charges, impaired driving and assaulting two police officers with a weapon (a vehicle), were dropped.
On the day of the incident, around 2 a.m., police attempted to stop a vehicle that was travelling at a high rate of speed on Arcona Street in Summerside.
The vehicle fled when police attempted a traffic stop and was last seen leaving Summerside travelling east toward Kensington.
Police stopped pursuing the vehicle on MacEwen Road for safety reasons.
Then, at about 2:35 a.m., police observed the same vehicle travelling west on Water Street. Police followed it from a distance but did not attempt another stop until it pulled into a parking lot on First Street.
Police were able to pull in behind the suspect vehicle and officers activated the emergency lights on their cruiser.
As officers exited their vehicle, Myers reversed his vehicle and rammed the police vehicle before trying to drive away down a small alley that leads away from the parking lot.
Officers were able to give the driver verbal commands which Myers eventually complied with and stopped.
No officers were injured, but one police vehicle was damaged.
For this, Myers was sentenced to serve 51 days in jail, which he received permission to do intermittently. He must remain on probation while he serves his sentence and for 18 months after his time is completed. He is also prohibited from driving for 12 months, must pay a fine of $1,500 and $1,200 in victim surcharges and must pay $474 for the damage to the police vehicle.
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