Man has charge reduced

A 21-year-old man who led police on a high-speed chase last summer and was charged with dangerous driving, pleaded guilty Thursday to a lesser charge and was fined.

Blain Sweetgrass pleaded guilty to careless driving under the Traffic Safety Act and was fined $575, including a $75 victim fine surcharge. Two other charges of careless use of a firearm and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose were withdrawn.

Court was told Sweetgrass called police during the early morning hours of Aug. 18, 2016 and said he was suicidal and had a rifle. He told police he was at a store on Mayor Magrath Drive South, but when police arrived they noticed him driving a car, with which he reached a speed of 150 km/h during a subsequent chase.

Police were able to disable the car using Onstar technology, and as they approached the suspect on the Whoop-Up Drive bridge, they noticed he was holding a rifle. During a lengthy standoff, an officer on scene and a crisis negotiator contacted Sweetgrass, who remained inside his vehicle until he surrendered. Police removed a loaded SKS rifle from the vehicle along with five full clips and one partial clip of steel core ammunition.

Crown prosecutor Vaughan Hartigan said Thursday Sweetgrass successfully completed a Mental Health Diversion program, which allows an accused person to receive treatment and counselling to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. The accused does not have to admit guilt to an offence, and the Crown may stay or withdraw the charge if the accused is suffering from a mental illness which may be the underlying cause of the alleged criminal conduct.

Hartigan said Sweetgrass was not in the “best frame of mind” at the time, but his mental health improved while he was in custody.

“He appears to be in a much better place now,” Hartigan said.

He noted Sweetgrass was fortunate the incident didn’t end in tragedy, and he commended police for the professional and sympathetic manner in which they handled the dangerous incident.

Lethbridge lawyer Tracy Hembroff said Sweetgrass was “troubled” at the time and had lost his job and was having problems with his girlfriend. He also recognized he needed help and felt “compelled” to participate in the diversion program.

The Crown also recommended Sweetgrass be prohibited from driving for 90 days, but he changed his mind after defence pointed out Sweetgrass might lose his job if he can’t drive.

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