Two wanted win criminal warrants arrested
On December 4, 2020, several units of the Saskatchewan RCMP, including Battlefords RCMP, the North Battleford RCMP Gang Task Force, the North Battleford Municipal General Investigation Section, the Saskatchewan RCMP Crime Reduction Team and other specialized support units, developed a coordinated plan to safely locate and arrest Jonathan Swiftwolfe.
On December 5 and 6, 2020, Saskatchewan RCMP Crime Reduction Team and Battlefords RCMP officers attended locations identified by the Saskatchewan RCMP combined resources. On December 6, 2020, at approximately 6:30 p.m., police officers located Jonathan Swiftwolfe driving a stolen vehicle with a female passenger on Highway 40, near Sweet Grass First Nation.
Police officers activated their vehicle emergency lights and sirens. The vehicle refused to stop for police and fled at a high rate of speed. Due to the violent nature of the individual fleeing, police officers initiated a pursuit.
Saskatchewan RCMP Crime Reduction Team officers deployed a tire deflation device on Highway 40 to stop the vehicle fleeing from police. The deployment was successful. The vehicle stopped at the Table Mountain turnoff on Highway 40, east of Sweet Grass First Nation.
Jonathan Swiftwolfe and the female occupant of the vehicle were arrested without incident. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a loaded firearm located within reach of the driver.
The female arrested with Jonathan Swiftwolfe has been identified as 24-year-old Cassandra Fox, who was wanted on numerous Criminal Code warrants, including assault with a weapon and failure to comply with a release order.
Corporal Tyler Zrymiak, from the North Battleford RCMP Crime Reduction Team, participated in the coordinated operation. While reflecting, the next morning, on the sequence of events, he said:
“The ability of the Saskatchewan RCMP Crime Reduction Team to immediately deploy all resources to zero in on dangerous individuals who pose an extreme threat to public and police safety, and to do what it takes to take them into custody, is a unique feature of our Team. To drop everything to pursue somebody, we can do that. And that’s what we did to locate Jonathan Swiftwolfe.”
He added: “This operation ended safely and successfully due to the collaboration of all resources involved in this matter, most notably the resources at the Battlefords RCMP detachments who provided local knowledge. Collaboration between units and communities is greatly responsible for our success. We are very proud our community and our neighbours are now safer because of it.”
Jonathan Swiftwolfe is facing more than 35 Criminal Code charges from his arrest last night, previous warrants and outstanding charges.
Jonathan Swiftwolfe and Cassandra Fox are currently in custody at the North Battleford RCMP detachment. They will both remain in custody until they appear at the Battlefords Provincial Court on December 8, 2020.