High speed pursuit ends in three year jail term for accused

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on August 17, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A 47-year-old man who led police on a high-speed chase across southern Alberta more than a year ago, has been sent to jail.

Darcy Red Crow was sentenced to a three-year prison term Tuesday, after pleading guilty in Lethbridge provincial court to charges of flight from police, possession of stolen property over $5,000, drug possession, driving while prohibited and obstructing a peace officer.

On May 31 of last year police in an unmarked vehicle noticed a Dodge Dart that had been stolen in Calgary, and they covertly followed it along a gravel road near Highway 509 onto the Blood Reserve. Blood Tribe police officers in marked vehicles attempted to stop the car, but the driver, Darcy Red Crow, drove into the ditch and sped away at high speed. Blood Tribe police pursued the car for a short distance, but ended the chase because of the speed of the fleeing vehicle.

Lethbridge police in their unmarked vehicle continued to follow the car, which had slowed down after Blood Tribe police terminated the chase. Police followed the car to Claresholm where RCMP officers also attempted to stop it, but Red Crow took off again and drove south on Highway 2. When another RCMP officer attempted to block the highway, Red Crow swerved around the vehicle, driving dangerously close to cyclists.

The fleeing suspect headed to Nobleford where he circled the town before heading to Picture Butte, where he stopped at a gas station and was apprehended while pumping gas.

“The same covert members moved in to pin the vehicle from moving and quickly took custody of Mr. Red Crow,” Crown Prosecutor Norma Quaroni told court.

Red Crow initially gave police false names, but he was later identified through his finger prints, and at the time of his arrest he was wanted on a parole warrant. Red Crow was also caught with 0.9 grams of fentanyl and 1.7 grams of methamphetamine.

Quaroni pointed out Red Crow reached speeds of more than 100 km/h in Claresholm in a 50 km/h zone, and came within 30 metres of cyclists who were riding their bikes on a sidewalk. When he was fleeing from Blood Tribe police, police estimated he reached speeds in excess of 150 km/h.

“Those were the speeds that the police vehicle reached when they were attempting to close the distance, and they were unable to do so,” Quaroni said.

Lethbridge lawyer Darcy Shurtz said Red Crow is remorseful and ultimately decided to plead guilty rather than proceed to trial, which had been scheduled for three days in November. He explained Red Crow’s parents attended residential schools and Red Crow attended boarding school where he suffered abuse, as well. He has also struggled with a drug addiction for most of his life.

“I had a hard life and had a rough upbringing,” Red Crow told Judge Grace Auger. “I’ve been trying to change, but it’s hard.”

Auger encouraged him to get help from his tribal leaders, to change his life and and set a better example for his children and grandchildren.

“You are getting old, you need to smarten up,” Auger said. “You don’t want to be in there at 60 years old and, you know, still doing time. That’s too hard.”

Although sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary, Red Crow was given credit for the equivalent of about 22 months spent in remand custody, leaving him with 14 months to serve in a provincial jail. He will also be prohibited from driving for five years after he is released.

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