Convicted felon William Clayton Bradshaw of Red Deer has been re-arrested after a botched afternoon carjacking near Airdrie, Dec. 29.
Earlier that afternoon, Airdrie RCMP responded to a call of a man driving dangerously in a 2003 yellow Chevrolet Monte Carlo with B.C. plates.
Police discovered the car shortly after near Carstairs. What cops didn’t realize is that the suspect had ditched the car and caught a ride heading south toward Airdrie.
The driver quickly realized the hitchhiker he picked up was intoxicated and acting strange. Not long after, the driver told the hitchhiker he had to turn off in Airdrie to head to B.C., despite the drunk man demanding a ride to Calgary.
Shortly after the disagreement, the hitchhiker pulled a knife on the driver and robbed him of his wallet, forcing him out of the vehicle.
The victim immediately phoned police while the hitchhiker drove the stolen car onto eastbound Yankee Valley Boulevard where RCMP was conducting a Checkstop. They located the man and arrested him shortly after. Police later located drugs and alcohol in the Monte Carlo. The vehicle is registered to a friend of Bradshaw’s.
During a breath test in the Checkstop trailer the man spit on a police officer, adding assault to his large list of offences.
Airdrie Cpl. Darrin Turnbull encouraged motorists not to pick up hitchhikers following the close call.
“If you see someone on the side of the road that you feel may need assistance, don’t feel afraid to call the police,” he said. “Let us attend the scene and check on their wellbeing.”
Turnbull said he has not seen any incident like this in the three-and-a-half years he has been in Airdrie.
Twenty-six-year-old William Clayton Bradshaw of Red Deer has now been charged with 12 offences including armed robbery, assault of a police officer, possession of a dangerous weapon and dangerous driving.
Te man had only been out of jail for 12 days before the incident. He previously served time for break and enters and possession of stolen property.
