A 26-year-old Red Deer man faces 12 charges following an armed car jacking in Airdrie.
Police say the suspect was just released from jail 12 days previously.
On Thursday, the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit received several complaints of a dangerous and possible impaired driver in a 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
The car was found abandoned on the side of the road near Carstairs. Police learned the male driver of the car ran out of gas and hitched a ride with a passing motorist.
The driver suspected the hitchhiker was impaired and tried to convince him to be dropped off in Airdrie. The hitchhiker demanded to be driven to Calgary. The driver told the hitchhiker he had to turn at Airdrie because he was on his way to British Columbia.
At this point, the hitchhiker pulled a jackknife and threatened the driver. The man demanded the driver pull over to the side of the road on southbound Hwy 2 at the off-ramp to Yankee Valley Boulevard at Airdrie.
The hitchhiker stole the driver’s wallet and ordered him out of the car before driving away.
The hitchhiker turned east onto Yankee Valley Boulevard, where several members of the Airdrie RCMP were conducting a Check Stop. RCMP members were able to stop the vehicle a mere minutes after the robbery and the hitchhiker was taken into custody.
William Clayton Bradshaw is charged with impaired driving, dangerous driving, refusal to provide a breath sample, suspended driving, possession of dangerous weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, armed robbery, obstruction of a police officer, assault of a police officer and three counts of breach of probation.
Bradshaw is in custody.