Red Deer man sentenced in local drug and weapons seizure

Officers seized more than 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamines; small amounts of cocaine, Xanax, GHB, and oxycodone; a loaded 9mm handgun; and a taser.

“In the work that we do on a daily basis, almost all of the crimes that we’re dealing with, the property crimes, are driven by methamphetamine addiction. Almost every offender that we arrest is either using or has been using methamphetamines and that seems to be the nexus, or the raison d’être, for the crime is to satisfy those addictions,” said Sgt. Robert Daisley, in a press release, following Engler’s arrest. “By helping to remove some of these drugs from the street, hopefully we can prevent some victimization and help the community to feel safer.”

RCMP explained that officers observed a previous offender operating a motor vehicle that day while prohibited to do so. Given the individual’s history of dangerous driving while fleeing from police, including ramming a police vehicle, they conducted surveillance until support could be brought in for the arrest.

Sgt. Daisley said this manner of arrest, being a property concern that revealed additional offences, is representative of recent trends.

“Much of the work that the Red Deer Crime Reduction Team does is based on property offences, looking for stolen vehicles and that type of thing, and those investigations commonly spin off into other types of crime including firearms and drugs,” he added.

Mounties say the suspect exited the vehicle and was arrested safely with assistance from the Calgary Police Services HAWCS helicopter, Innisfail RCMP, Police Dog Services, the RCMP Emergency Response Team, and RCMP Central Alberta District Crime Reduction Team.

”A great deal of effort and resources were used to safely arrest this repeated offender who has previously demonstrated a willingness to put the public at risk while fleeing apprehension. Focusing our policing resources at offenders such as this truly does have an impact on our community,” noted Inspector Heidi Ravenhill, operations support officer.

Mitchell Engler was originally charged with:

Possession of body armour
Driving while prohibited (two counts)
Weapons offences (six counts)
Possession for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled substance (five counts)
Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000
Possession of a controlled substance

Engler was taken before a justice of the peace, and remanded into custody.

Sgt. Daisley said the seizure was larger than what they would expect to see on a routine basis, but that further investigation needed to be done to determine if it was part of a larger criminal organization.

He also encourages residents to report any suspicious activity they observe in their neighbourhoods and avoid leaving valuables or garage door openers in their vehicles.

by Sheldon Spackman

Red Deer man sentenced in local drug and weapons seizure

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