A Morinville RCMP officer suffered minor injuries after being struck and dragged by a stolen vehicle during an arrest at a gas station in Gibbons early Tuesday morning.At around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the officer approached a stolen vehicle parked at the Shell station. As the officer attempted to arrest the occupants, the driver started the truck and reversed, hitting the officer, who jumped inside to avoid being run over. The officer managed to put the vehicle in park and remove the keys before it crashed into a tree..While attempting to arrest the suspects, the driver pulled a sawed-off shotgun from between the seats and threw it into the truck bed. A search of the vehicle uncovered methamphetamine, fentanyl, a false bill of sale, the shotgun and ammunition.Police charged four individuals in connection with the incident. Ryan Calvin Grant, 42, of Onway, faces multiple charges including possession of stolen property, assaulting a police officer with a weapon, weapons offences, driving while prohibited, and drug possession. Cassandra Joy Bruno, 34, of Alexander First Nation, faces similar charges including possession of a forged document. Michael James Racicot, 38, of no fixed address, and Jo-anna Elaine Nussey, 42, of Minburn, are also facing multiple weapons, property, and court order violation charges. All four were remanded into custody with court appearances scheduled for July 31 in Morinville.“Every day there are on average 2.2 acts of violence toward Alberta RCMP officers,” said Detachment Commander Darcy McGunigal. “Since 2023, assaults on police involving weapons or causing bodily harm have increased 23%.” He added that while overall crime severity is falling, including an 18% drop in stolen vehicles compared to last year, officers continue to face serious risks dealing with repeat offenders.
