A man was sentenced Monday to a further 13 months in jail after he destroyed a Prince George RCMP cruiser and forced an officer to take evasive action in a failed attempt to escape arrest slightly more than a year ago.
In all, Brent Jameson Morgan, 32, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail less credit of 468 days for each day in custody prior to sentencing, leaving 444 days to go.
The sentence stems from an Oct. 22, 2022, incident when, during the early morning hours, a patrolling RCMP officer noticed a car parked at a 7600-block of Gladstone Drive home with an expired licence plate and linked to a "known offender, who has ties to the illicit drug," namely Angelina Hammestrom.
As backup was called in to block off their escape, Jameson and Hammerstrom left the home in an SUV and, when RCMP attempted to pull the vehicle over, Jameson initially slowed down then sped away.
It was located a second time, on Simon Fraser Avenue, but Jameson once again refused to pull over and struck an RCMP vehicle as he fled the area, driving along the sidewalk and through a series of stop signs as he sped away.
The pursuing officer caught up to Jameson for a third time at St. Kevin Place and attempted to get in front of Jameson and guide the SUV to the side of the road but Jameson pushed through and kept going. Hammerstrom meanwhile was seen waving her hands outside the passenger-side window, apparently signalling that she wanted to get out of the SUV.
The officer followed Jameson as he drove erratically to a cul-de-sac in the 8000-block of St. John Place. Jameson lost control while turning and went up onto a grassy area where the SUV drove through some trees and struck two pickup trucks parked in a driveway.
His gun drawn, the officer got out of his cruiser. As he yelled that Jameson was under arrest, the SUV went into reverse and backed into a light pole and then into the officer's cruiser. By then, the officer had retreated back behind the cruiser for cover and escaped injury but the cruiser was later deemed a writeoff.
A second cruiser was struck as Jameson left the scene but it did not suffer as much damage.
From there, RCMP deployed a spike belt on Domano Boulevard and the suspect vehicle came to a stop on Moriarty Drive where Jameson and Hammerstrom were arrested.
During submissions to B.C. Supreme Court Justice Alan Ross, Crown prosecution argued for three to four years less time served saying the outcome could have been worse if not for the "skill and training of the officer to jump out of the way and not get hit."
Defence lawyer Jay Michi pushed for two years, saying the term amounts to a step up from the 18 months Jameson was issued in May 2020 on a count of dangerous driving from an April 2019 incident.
Morgan, who pleaded guilty to fleeing police and dangerous driving, was also issued a three-year driving prohibition and ordered to pay $1,086.40 in restitution for the deductible on the two pickup trucks he hit.
He was also issued a 10-year firearms prohibition in recognition that a car can be used as a weapon.
