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Eastern Alberta District Rural Crime Reduction Unit arrest five with assistance from eyes in the sky

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East District, Alberta – On Oct. 9, 2018, RCMP members from the Elk Point Detachment, Cold Lake, Bonnyville Detachments along with Cold Lake Police Dog Services (PDS), and the Eastern Alberta District Rural Crime Reduction Unit (EADRCRU) were involved in a pursuit that spanned through Fishing Lake, Frog Lake, Bonnyville County, Elizabeth Metis Settlement, and briefly into Saskatchewan. RCMP Air Services were also utilized which was crucial in bringing the pursuit to an end without injuries.

“All RCMP members involved in this incident used teamwork and co-ordination to bring a safe resolution to the pursuit,” says Constable Guillaume Wilson (EADRCRU).  “They demonstrated a high level of professionalism despite the dangers they faced and the intensity of the situation.”

This incident started on the morning of Oct. 9, 2018 when multiple detachments conducted a joint operation to apprehend a male wanted on several outstanding warrants for serious offences. While in Fishing Lake, police believed they spotted the male inside a vehicle that failed to stop for police and fled at high speed. A pursuit was initiated which went through Fishing Lake, Frog Lake, a section of Bonnyville County, and into the Elizabeth Metis Settlement. Once inside the Elizabeth Metis Settlement, the suspect vehicle was able to evade police after striking the windshield of a police vehicle with a metal pipe.

Police believed the suspect vehicle was hiding in an area along the Alberta/Saskatchewan border and were able to contain this area with the help of the Saskatchewan RCMP until Alberta RCMP Air Services could arrive.

“Many people believe that crossing provincial lines will force us to cease efforts to apprehend them, but this is certainly not the case” says Constable Guillaume Wilson. “We are Canada’s police force and provincial borders will not prevent us from stopping criminals and keeping Canadians safe.”

Air Services located the suspect vehicle in a trail system along the Alberta/ Saskatchewan border and police vehicles on the ground quickly surrounded the area. This led to members successfully deflating one of the fleeing vehicle’s tires with a spike belt. Following this, EADRCRU and Cold Lake PDS re-engaged the suspect vehicle in a pursuit which led them through the Elizabeth Metis Settlement again until the fleeing vehicle was no longer able to continue and its occupants fled on foot.

All occupants were quickly arrested and taken into custody without incident. The vehicle used in this incident was later confirmed to be stolen.

Desmond Spence (18) and Cody Spence (19) of Edmonton were charged with multiple Criminal Code offences which include:

  • Assault on a police officer with a weapon
  • Flight from police
  • Resisting a peace officer
  • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
  • Failing to comply with a probation order

Both were remanded into custody after a judicial hearing and are scheduled to appear in Lac La Biche Provincial Court via CCTV on Oct. 15, 2018.

A 16-year-old male from Cold Lake, a 17-year-old female from Frog Lake, and a 14-year-old female from Elizabeth Metis Settlement, all of whom cannot be named due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act were charged with multiple Criminal Code offences which include:

  • Assault on a police officer with a weapon
  • Resisting a peace officer
  • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
  • Flight from police

The 16-year-old male and 14-year-old female are also facing charges for failing to comply with conditions.

All youth were released on conditions after a judicial hearing and are scheduled to appear in Cold Lake Provincial Court on Oct. 24, 2018.

President Todayville Inc., Honorary Colonel 41 Signal Regiment, Board Member Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award Foundation, Director Canadian Forces Liaison Council (Alberta) musician, photographer, former VP/GM CTV Edmonton.

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UK finally admits clear evidence linking Pakistanis and child grooming gangs

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After years of denial and political cover-ups, the UK government has formally acknowledged a disturbing link between Pakistani-heritage men and child grooming gangs. A scathing new review has prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reverse course and launch a full national inquiry into the widespread abuse.

Key Details:

  • The Casey Review found “clear evidence” of Pakistani men’s overrepresentation in grooming gangs and accused authorities of ignoring the abuse to avoid accusations of racism.
  • Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed over 800 historic child sex abuse cases will be reopened and prosecuted where possible.
  • The Labour Party and Prime Minister Starmer were previously opposed to a national inquiry, with critics calling this reversal a politically motivated “smokescreen.”

Diving Deeper:

The British government has finally acknowledged a link between Pakistani-heritage men and the grooming gang epidemic that has plagued communities across England for decades. The admission comes following the release of a damning public review led by Baroness Louise Casey, which uncovered years of institutional failure, racial sensitivity, and political cowardice.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper presented the findings in Parliament, confirming that the Casey Review had “identified clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani-heritage men.” She condemned the systematic rape of vulnerable girls—some as young as 10—and the authorities’ “unforgivable” failure to act.

“The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes,” Cooper said, noting that too many warnings had been ignored over the last 15 years. She announced that the government would adopt all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations and reopen more than 800 historic cases.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously dismissed calls for a national inquiry as “far-right misinformation,” abruptly changed course over the weekend and agreed to a full inquiry with legal authority to compel testimony. This reversal followed mounting pressure from campaigners like Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, Elon Musk, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, once ousted for raising alarms about Pakistani grooming gangs in her Rotherham constituency, welcomed the inquiry. “There’s a real sense justice has not been handed out fairly,” she said, accusing officials of failing victims for fear of “causing offense.”

The Casey review also pointed to illegal immigration as a contributing factor and called for mandatory ethnicity data collection in child exploitation cases. Critics argue that authorities in Labour-run areas turned a blind eye to the abuse—some allegedly in exchange for votes—treating white working-class girls as expendable while shielding perpetrators.

Former detective and grooming whistleblower Maggie Oliver expressed skepticism, warning that unless the inquiry is led by Baroness Casey, it risks becoming another whitewash. “This is about gross criminal neglect at the top of policing, at the top of government, at the top of social services,” Oliver said.

While the inquiry marks a long-overdue step toward accountability, some warn it may be politically perilous for Starmer. As former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he held a central role when many of these abuses first surfaced. And with many of the cover-ups tied to Labour councils, the fallout could deepen public distrust in the party.

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Crime

Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

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Vance Luther Boelter, accused of killing former Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was captured Sunday after leading law enforcement on a 48-hour manhunt.

Key Details:

  • Boelter allegedly began his rampage around 2 a.m. Saturday at Sen. Hoffman’s Champlin home, shooting both the senator and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived after emergency surgery.

  • He then traveled to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died shortly afterward at a hospital.

  • The suspect reportedly sent a farewell message to friends before fleeing and was later arrested in a Sibley County field Sunday night.

Diving Deeper:

Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a targeted shooting of Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota, was taken into custody Sunday night following a 48-hour manhunt that spanned multiple counties. According to a report from Alpha News, Boelter was arrested in a field in rural Sibley County after evading police for more than a day following the deadly shootings.

Boelter, 57, previously served as an appointee under Gov. Tim Walz and is accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Authorities say Boelter disguised himself as a police officer—complete with a uniform, ballistic vest, and Halloween mask—before launching the coordinated attacks early Saturday morning.

The violence began just after 2 a.m. when Boelter allegedly entered the Hoffman residence in Champlin and opened fire. Both the senator and his wife were struck multiple times. Their daughter, Hope, was reportedly shielded from the gunfire by her mother. The couple’s nephew confirmed that both John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and were listed in stable condition by Sunday.

From there, Boelter allegedly drove to Brooklyn Park and carried out a second attack at the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman. The 55-year-old lawmaker was found dead inside the home, while her husband was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Brooklyn Park police officers, alerted by the earlier incident, arrived as Boelter was leaving the Hortman residence. A standoff ensued, with officers briefly cornering the suspect inside the house and opening fire, though Boelter managed to flee.

Boelter reportedly sent a chilling text message to close friends. “David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he wrote. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”

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