THUNDER BAY – NEWS – Thunder Bay Police Service’s RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) program has yielded significant results in various neighbourhoods over the weekend leading to multiple arrests and charges.
On December 7th, Thunder Bay Police, in collaboration with a member of the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, conducted a RIDE operation in a north-side neighbourhood.
A 39-year-old man from Thunder Bay was arrested for impaired operation by drug. His vehicle has been impounded for seven days, and his driver’s license suspended for 90 days.
The following evening, on December 8th, at 11:30 p.m., another RIDE program was conducted. During this operation, the Thunder Bay Police Traffic Unit stopped a vehicle on South Cumberland St. The stop resulted in the discovery and seizure of various drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, hydromorphone, and oxycodone. A 20-year-old female, Coby Bryant from British Columbia, was charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. She has been remanded into custody at the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre.
In a separate incident on the same night, a 44-year-old male was stopped at a RIDE checkpoint in a south-side neighbourhood. An investigation into impaired driving was initiated, but the driver refused to provide a breath sample. He was charged with failure to provide a breath sample, resulting in a seven-day vehicle impound and a 90-day administrative driver’s license suspension. Additionally, he was charged with breaching a release order and was arrested on an outstanding warrant, leading to his remand into custody.
On December 10th, shortly before 1:00 a.m., officers conducting a RIDE program in a south-side neighbourhood encountered a male driver who fled the checkpoint at a high rate of speed, endangering an officer and the public.
Due to safety concerns, officers did not pursue the vehicle. However, subsequent investigations led to the identification of the driver and vehicle. The vehicle was located and impounded, and warrants have been requested for the 42-year-old Thunder Bay man for dangerous operation, flight from police, and failing to provide a breath sample.