Richard Froese
South Peace News

A two-day preliminary inquiry has been confirmed for a man involved in a high-speed chase and an armed standoff with police in the Kinuso area last spring.

Charles Edward Bleakley, 42, appeared in High Prairie provincial court Jan. 29. Judge D.R. Shynkar set the inquiry for June 28-29 in High Prairie.

“We should have a possible two-day inquiry,” he told Bleakley, who appeared from Peace River Correctional Centre on CCTV.

At a previous court appearance, Judge Shyn- kar noted some of the 24 charges were scheduled to be amended.

However, those changes remain under review.

“We are still working on the file,” Crown prosecutor Petter Hurich says.

A few of the more serious charges include two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, discharging a firearm with intent to wound, possession of a prohibited firearm for a dangerous purpose, uttering a threat to cause death, two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, three counts of unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon, robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition, and two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Police report that on March 8, 2017 at about 11:45 a.m., Faust RCMP conducted a traffic stop near Range Road 102 and Township Road 734. The vehicle was reported stolen from the Slave Lake area the night before.

Bleakley allegedly stole another vehicle near the area in the incident and brandished what a witness believed to be a firearm.

The lone occupant of the vehicle was not injured and Bleakley fled.

Police located the stolen vehicle on Highway 33. After a brief pursuit, the suspect lost control of the vehicle and drove into a ditch.

Bleakley was armed and barricaded in the vehicle.

When police went to arrest him, he threatened to take his own life.