The man who led police on a wild night of car chases, theft and shooting at Red Deer RCMP now faces 15 charges, including attempted murder.
Andrew Allen Waunch, 30, of no fixed address was arrested Monday morning after two carjackings, two police chases and a shooting aimed at a police vehicle just outside of Red Deer.
Waunch, also known as Navi, was wanted in connection with two incidents — an attempted murder in Sylvan Lake that took place on June 3 and a gunpoint carjacking on Friday near Olds.
On Friday Sylvan Lake RCMP put out a notice they were looking for Waunch and a second individual, Ashley Chambers, as suspects in the attempted murder and the carjacking incidents.
Chambers is still at large.
The investigation into the attempted murder is continuing and the police are releasing little information. The name of the victim is being withheld by police to protect his identity and ensure his safety as the investigation continues.
Sunday evening at about 7 p.m. Red Deer City RCMP were called to a reported armed carjacking. Four hours later police located the stolen vehicle in Creekside Trailer Park. Police attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled from police.
A pursuit ensued and police followed the vehicle outside of Red Deer where shots were fired from the suspect vehicle at a police vehicle.
The suspect vehicle evaded police and was later located, abandoned, near Olds. A second vehicle was reported stolen, this time a black Dodge truck.
Through police investigation it was determined the truck, driven by the same suspect from the earlier incidents in Red Deer, had returned to the city.
Police located the vehicle in the south end of the city and attempted a traffic stop, but the truck fled and another pursuit ensured.
Additional Red Deer RCMP members set up ahead of the fleeing vehicle and deployed a spike belt. This caused the tires of the suspect vehicle to deflate.
A foot pursuit ensued with the suspect attempting to flee police. Waunch was caught by RCMP members and taken into custody.
No one, including police officers involved in this incident, sustained any injuries.
Red Deer City RCMP closed a section of 32nd Street and Township Road 381 from the Hwy 2 overpass to west of the Crossroads Church Monday to conduct part of their investigation.
Waunch faces charges including attempted murder, robbery with a firearm, theft over $5,000, use of a firearm while fleeing from police, discharging a firearm to prevent arrest, kidnapping and two counts of dangerous driving.
He also faces charges of use of a firearm while committing an indictable offence, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, being an occupant of a motor vehicle knowing there was a firearm in the vehicle and two counts of flight from police.
Waunch is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Friday in Red Deer provincial court.
mcrawford@www.reddeeradvocate.com