Whitehorse RCMP have provided more information on an incident on Hamilton Boulevard two weeks ago.

A police pursuit took place though the city on the afternoon of May 13.

According to the update released today, of the three individuals charged, two remain in custody and the third was released by the courts on Thursday.

Tyrell Sidney, Nathan Ouimet and Kody Smith, all of Whitehorse, have been charged with robbery, two counts of the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and wearing a mask with the intent to commit an indictable offence.

On the day of the incident, Whitehorse RCMP frontline officers, along with Yukon RCMP Police Dog Service and Emergency Response Team members, located and disabled the stolen vehicle on Hamilton Boulevard. Smith, 28, was found in the driver’s seat and arrested, police said.

In addition to the charges noted above, Smith’s alleged offences include two counts of attempted robbery and mischief not exceeding $5,000.

Ouimet, 29, fled on foot from the disabled vehicle, and officers from the Emergency Response Team and officers located him at a nearby home. In addition to the charges listed above, he has been charged with break and enter to a home, two counts of the possession of property obtained by crime, two counts of attempted robbery, and mischief not exceeding $5,000.

“The residents of the home were not there at the time, and are unrelated to and uninvolved in the offences,” police said. “Police appreciate their co-operation through the investigation.”

Officers had seen Sidney, 44, in the stolen vehicle earlier in the day during previous attempts to conduct a traffic stop. They believe he had fled before the vehicle was disabled by a spiked belt police laid across the road.

Sidney was located and arrested by Whitehorse RCMP frontline officers and Yukon RCMP Police Dog Services in a stolen vehicle near Squatters Road.

In addition to the collective charges listed above, Sidney’s charges include two counts of failing to comply with the conditions of a release order and driving while prohibited.

Staff -Sgt. Jill McLaren, the acting officer in charge of the Whitehorse detachment, said the incidents required significant assistance from the public and teamwork among the many officers involved in order to keep the public and police safe.

“Throughout our attempts to bring this incident to a safe end, communication and co-ordination were constant between police on the roads, dispatchers answering calls from the public and monitoring police radio, and leadership working out of Yukon RCMP headquarters,” McLaren said. 

“Our goal was to prevent any unnecessary injury to people or damage to property while arresting the suspects involved. Part of this included sharing information with the public and the media for awareness of the ongoing incident.

“We appreciated receiving details from witnesses and bystanders that contributed to our risk assessment and that people avoided, when possible, areas where police activities were occurring,” McLaren added.

Supt. Lindsay Ellis, the Yukon RCMP criminal operations officer, said “all available and appropriate resources were brought to bear to this incident, including Whitehorse Detachment frontline and plainclothes members from units such as Yukon RCMP Major Crime and Whitehorse General Investigation Section; Critical Incident Program team members, including Critical Incident Command, the Emergency Response Team, Police Dog Services, and Crisis Negotiator Team.”

Prior to the May 13 incident, Ellis noted, Sidney, Ouimet, and Smith all had other files before the courts. The charges listed above do not include the previous Criminal Code and Motor Vehicles Act charges from other investigations.

All three men were in court this week.

Sidney and Ouimet remain jailed. Smith was released by the courts, with conditions and pending future court appearances.