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Red Deer man facing charges after being accused of striking police officer with truck while on day parole

A Red Deer man was on statutory release, having served two-thirds of his sentence, when the truck he was allegedly driving struck a Regina police officer last week.However, the Parole Board of Canada had imposed the same strict conditions on his statutory release as his day parole to manage the risk when he was serving his sentence in the community.

A Red Deer man was on statutory release, having served two-thirds of his sentence, when the truck he was allegedly driving struck a Regina police officer last week.

However, the Parole Board of Canada had imposed the same strict conditions on his statutory release as his day parole to manage the risk when he was serving his sentence in the community.

Jason John Dunlop, 33, of Red Deer has been serving a two-year sentence for numerous convictions of theft under $5,000, failing to appear, failing to comply with court orders, obstructing peace officer, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime, improper firearm storage and flight from police. He was sentenced on September 2012 after pleading guilty.

He is suspected to have been the driver of a Ford F-350 that struck a Regina police officer on May 14. At the time, he was serving his sentence in a Red Deer-area facility.

Dunlop is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large.

He was granted day parole on Sept. 26, 2013, and moved to a community correction centre/community residential facility. His day parole had strict conditions, including not to consume drugs or alcohol, to report all relationships with females and to avoid people known to or believed to have involvement in criminal activity.

His statutory release date was on Jan. 12 of this year.

Most federal inmates are automatically released after serving two-thirds of their sentence. The parole board chose to impose special conditions on the statutory release to manage the risk as he served his sentence in the community.

“Your criminal record indicates a history of non-compliance and re-offending while under conditional release,” reads the parole board decision.

“With this history it is likely you will experience some significant challenges while you continue to serve the remainder of your sentence in the community.”

Statutory release was granted, but the same conditions as his day parole were imposed.

According to the parole board decision, his 2012 conviction relates to a June 7, 2012, incident. Dunlop was found sleeping in a vehicle when police awoke him.

Stettler RCMP asked for identification and Dunlop fled, taking police on a high-speed chase through rural Central Alberta at speeds ranging from 150 to 170 km/h. He continued driving even after running over a spike belt. Four hours after the chase started, Dunlop fled the vehicle near Three Hills. He was pursued by RCMP, police dog services and a helicopter.

The vehicle, a Ford F-350, was stolen, as were a number of items found in the vehicle, including copper wire and an improperly stored firearm.

Dunlop is described as Caucasian, medium build, about 1.78 metres (five foot eight) tall and weighs 90.5 kg (about 200 pounds). He has green eyes and short, cropped brown hair. He was last seen driving a white Ford F-350 super-crew long box with Alberta licence plate BJK 4423. There is damage to the passenger side front bumper and on the driver’s side from the driver’s door to the rear of the vehicle.

Anyone who sees Dunlop is advised not to have contact with him, but to contact their local police detachment or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.