A 25-year-old Ponoka County man is facing multiple firearms charges after allegedly threatening a youth with a handgun at a Wetaskiwin skatepark before leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash.Wetaskiwin RCMP say the investigation began September 23, when officers received a complaint about a man threatening a young person with a handgun at a local skatepark.Police launched an investigation involving several RCMP units and multiple jurisdictions.Investigators quickly identified a suspect and obtained an arrest warrant following the execution of a search warrant.On October 15, Wetaskiwin RCMP, assisted by the RCMP Emergency Response Team and Air Services, located the suspect driving in Wetaskiwin County..Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but police allege the driver fled at a high rate of speed.The pursuit ended when the suspect's vehicle crashed.Police say the man then attempted to escape on foot before officers caught up with him.The suspect allegedly resisted arrest but was subdued following a brief struggle and taken into custody.Noah McKinney, 25, of Ponoka County, has been charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, pointing a firearm and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.He also faces charges of flight from police, resisting arrest and failing to comply with a release order.Following a judicial interim release hearing, McKinney was remanded in custody.He was scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Wetaskiwin on Thursday.Police have not released details about the youth involved in the original incident or whether the handgun was recovered.
