Police arrest two after helicopter follows motorcycle to Burnaby’s Metrotown

One man is in police custody after nearly three hours of Air 1 surveillance of a high-speed motorbike zipping around the Lower Mainland Thursday night.

“Air 1 followed this motorcycle for two and a half hours through Coquitlam, Burnaby, New Westminster, Vancouver and Richmond and each jurisdiction several times — like back and forth and round-about,” said Sgt. Dwayne Beckerleg with Burnaby RCMP.

The surveillance began around 4:30 p.m. and Coquitlam police tried to pull the man over, but he fled.

Beckerleg clarified it was not a high speed police pursuit, as the motorbike was only being tailed by the helicopter.

However, Beckerleg is hoping to release footage of the follow because “the observer in the helicopter says it’s the worst driving he’s ever seen.”

The helicopter followed the motorbike to Metrotown Mall, where the man drove into an underground parking lot, ditched the bike and hopped into a black Range Rover driven by an unidentified woman.

Officers searched the mall on foot, but the drama then switched to Vancouver Police, who stopped the Range Rover and arrested the pair on Kingsway at Olive Ave.

One witness, who didn’t want his name used, said he was driving east on Boundary Rd. when he saw the motorcycle going about 120km/hr.

“He was swooping all over (the lane),” the man said, adding he immediately called police.

“We were concerned there was going to be a big accident,” he said. “He was going to get killed or he was going to kill somebody.”

Burnaby RCMP are currently investigating and it is not known why the man initially fled police.