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Man charged following police chases in central Alberta last summer is sentenced

Alexander Michael Talbot sentenced to 22 months in prison
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Alexander Michael Talbot, 29, was found guilty of operating a vehicle while prohibited, flight from police and vehicle theft in Red Deer provincial court recently. (Advocate file photo)

One of two men arrested last summer following police chases in which a pursuing RCMP vehicle was hit by bullets was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

Alexander Michael Talbot, 29, was found guilty of operating a vehicle while prohibited, flight from police and vehicle theft in Red Deer provincial court recently. Talbot was given six months credit for time spent in custody and has 16 months left to serve. He is also suspended from driving for three years.

The drama began on Aug. 12, 2020 when Sylvan Lake RCMP were tipped off by Calgary police that a stolen vehicle was in their area. Soon after, the vehicle was spotted speeding through Lacombe.

Blackfalds RCMP unsuccessfully tried to pull the vehicle over before calling off the chase.

Police spotted the vehicle again later and deployed a spike belt. Talbot and suspect Kenton Charles Butters drove to a rural property east of Lacombe, ditched their vehicle and stole another.

Another chase followed and a police dog unit truck was hit by rounds allegedly fired by Butters. The officer inside the vehicle was not injured.

RCMP’s emergency response team was called in and managed to stop Talbot and Butters, who were now in separate stolen vehicles, near Erskine, which is 12 km west of Stettler.

In 2017, Talbot was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison after admitting he drove into and killed the owner of a truck he was stealing.

Dawson “D.J.” Wegner Cramer heard his truck, which was parked behind his Normandeau home, start up and he rushed outside to investigate in the early morning of March 16, 2016. Wegner Cramer, who was armed with a machete, banged on the vehicle to get Talbot’s attention.

Talbot put the truck in gear and drove off, trapping Wegner Cramer between his truck and a Ford Explorer parked next to it. A neighbour found the badly injured Wegner Cramer, who was taken to hospital where he died, a short time later.

Talbot pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in Red Deer court on Feb. 27 2017. At the time, he had 837 days left to serve. He was granted parole in August 2018.

Butters, 32, is due in court on Tuesday to deal with the 20 charges he is facing from last summer’s police chases, including discharging a firearm with intent to injure, assault with a weapon, dangerous driving and flight from police.



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