A Red Deer man alleged to have driven a pickup injuring an officer prompting a police pursuit reserved his plea after firing his lawyer Wednesday.
Justin Stead, 25, returns to provincial court Nov. 3 to enter a plea on 16 charges, including 12 from the incident on Oct. 22 when the officer was injured.
He remains in custody.
Stead is charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm, dangerous driving causing bodily harm, assaulting a police officer, fleeing police, resisting arrest, possessing stolen property valued at more than $5,000, as well as less than $5,000, mischief, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.
He’s also charged with fleeing police, stealing a TV valued at less than $5,000 from a hotel, dangerous driving and possession of a stolen pickup and ATV valued at more than $5,000 in separate incidents on Sept. 30 and Oct. 12 in Red Deer.
Stead was originally set to appear in court Wednesday morning but his lawyer Luke Kurata and the Crown entered into negotiations.
A possible deal broke down late in the afternoon when Kurata was dismissed by Stead who now must secure another lawyer.
Police said earlier that an RCMP officer was hurt about noon last Friday after being pinned between a pickup truck and a dumpster while responding to a complaint about a motorist crashing his vehicle into a residential garage in the alley behind the 5700 block of 71st Street.
A physical altercation ensued between the officer and the male driver.
During the struggle, the driver put the pickup in gear in an attempt to flee the scene. And the officer, who was at that point outside the vehicle, got pinned between the side of the truck and a nearby wooden dumpster, which broke upon impact.
The injured police officer was transported to Red Deer hospital and was treated and released.
The suspect vehicle was followed by police north to an area near the intersection of Hwys 2A and 11A. When the driver failed to stop, police officers activated sirens and lights and a short pursuit ensued.
The driver fled on foot after the pickup got stuck.
He was caught and arrested at about 12:35 p.m.