Emblau trial gets cancelled

The trial for a 34-year-old man facing nearly 20 charges in connection with a police chase near Vulcan in March has been cancelled. Tyrone Michael Emblau was scheduled to stand trial Monday in Lethbridge provincial court, but it was cancelled after his lawyer asked to be removed from the record, citing a breakdown in the solicitor-client relationship.

Lethbridge lawyer James Rouleau told court, however, he believes the case can be resolved without a trial. He suggested a Calgary lawyer may handle the matter, and it was adjourned to Friday.

“I think we’ll get a resolution on this before it has to go to trial,” Rouleau said.

Emblau, who was previously denied bail, was arrested March 21 after Vulcan RCMP responded to a report that a snowmobile had been stolen near the Village of Champion at about 5:15 a.m. that day. Residents who witnessed the offence directed an officer to a suspect who was found hauling the snowmobile with a stolen pickup truck.

An officer pulled the driver over, but following a brief struggle the suspect escaped. Additional RCMP officers followed the truck until it became stuck in a field. The driver took off again, this time on the snowmobile and was chased by other officers, also on snowmobiles.

A Calgary police helicopter pilot eventually spotted the snowmobile where it had become stuck in a stand of trees several kilometres from the abandoned truck and trailer. A police dog tracked the suspect and he was arrested, then taken to hospital and treated for injuries sustained when he crashed into a tree with the snowmobile.

Police reported that the truck had been stolen from Okotoks and the trailer had been taken from Taber. The licence plate on the truck had been stolen from Creston, B.C.

At the time of Emblau’s arrest, he was wanted on 29 warrants from different police detachments.

Emblau faces 18 charges in relation to the chase, including criminal charges of assaulting a peace officer, flight from police, dangerous driving and possession of stolen property over $5,000. He also faces several charges under the Traffic Safety Act

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