Two men charged with armed robbery after truck driver offered them a ride

A 29-year-old man from Edmonton and a 31-year-old man from Fishing Lake First Nation are facing a number of charges, including armed robbery, after a truck driver offered them a ride near North Battleford on Thursday.

Saskatchewan RCMP said in a news release on April 3 officers from the Battlefords detachment were told about the incident around 3 a.m. on April 2.

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Police said their investigation found a man driving a truck saw two men walking on the side of Highway 4 and offered them a ride. The two passengers then pointed a firearm at the driver, threatened him, and drove off in the truck southbound, police said.

The driver was able to get out of the truck before the suspects drove off, and police said the firearm was discharged, but no injuries were reported.

Battlefords RCMP found the truck still driving on Highway 4, and attempted a traffic stop but the truck did not stop. Police then set up a tire deflation device and said the men abandoned the truck on Red Pheasant Cree Nation and ran off.

A Battlefords RCMP police dog helped officers find and arrest the two men shortly after 3:30 a.m. on Red Pheasant Cree Nation, and police said they recovered a shotgun from the scene.

The 29-year-old Edmonton man — who was also wanted on warrant by Elk Point RCMP in Alberta for multiple charges, including firearms offences, police said — has been charged with robbery with a firearm, using a firearm while committing an offence, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited weapon when knowing that possession was unauthorized, fleeing from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, discharging a firearm while being reckless, failing to comply, carrying a concealed weapon, 12 counts of weapons possession contrary to an order, resisting or obstructing a police officer, and two counts of uttering threats to property or animals,.

The 31-year-old from Fishing Lake First Nation — who police said was also wanted on warrant by Elk Point RCMP in Alberta for multiple charges, including firearms offences as well as being wanted on a Canada-wide parole warrant — has been charged with robbery with a firearm, resisting or obstructing a police officer, using a firearm while committing an offence, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited weapon when knowing that possession was unauthorized, and 10 counts of weapons possession contrary to an order.

Both men were scheduled to appear in North Battleford Provincial Court on April 6.

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