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Man sentenced in central Alberta crime spree

To spend 9.5 years in jail
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File photo

One of two men charged following a sequence of pursuits involving multiple RCMP jurisdictions where shots were fired at a police truck in 2020, has been sentenced to nine and a half years in jail, less two years pre-trial custody.

Kenton Charles Butters, 33, was sentenced on Dec. 15, 2021, where he was given a lifetime firearms prohibition and a two-year licence suspension.

Butters was convicted for two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, operation while prohibited, possession of stolen property over $5,000, flight from a peace officer, intent to wound/maim/disfigure and possession of a prohibited firearm. Seven other counts were withdrawn.

At around 11 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2020, Sylvan Lake RCMP was advised by Calgary police of a stolen vehicle from Calgary after the driver sped through the Lacombe area.

The vehicle was later located by Blackfalds RCMP. When it failed to stop for the police, a pursuit was initiated but was soon terminated.

Later, the vehicle was again located and a tire deflation device was covertly deployed. The vehicle entered a rural property east of Lacombe where the occupants abandoned the vehicle, stole another truck and fled.

Once again, a pursuit was initiated where a police dog services truck was struck by bullets believed to be fired from the suspects in the stolen truck. No one was hit or injured in the process.

The RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) was deployed and the fleeing vehicle was tracked to an area near Erskine where RCMP had set up the containment.

Shortly after, the RCMP received information that two other vehicles had been stolen from a nearby property. Again, tire deflation devices were utilized, and both stolen vehicles were stopped near Hwy. 12 and Range Road 202.

The ERT took both suspects into custody at 3:47 a.m. on Aug. 13. Butters was unlawfully at large and wanted on a Canada-wide warrant at the time of this incident.

One firearm was recovered from the vehicles, which the RCMP confirmed was stolen during a previous home invasion. An investigation has tied Butters to a home invasion that occurred in Caroline on Aug. 10, 2020. As a result, he is charged with breaking and entering a dwelling and theft of firearms.

The second suspect Alexander Michael Talbot, now 30, was also sentenced in regards to this matter in the Red Deer provincial court on May 6, 2021. He was convicted for operating a vehicle while prohibited, dangerous operation and theft of a motor vehicle and was handed a three-year driving ban. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison, less six months pre-trial custody and summer credits.

Talbot was previously sentenced to three and a half years in prison for manslaughter in the death of Dawson James Wegner-Cramer on Feb. 27, 2017, according to court documents.

RCMP investigators said Talbot, of no fixed address in Red Deer, was in the process of stealing Wegner Cramer’s white Ford F650 when he was confronted by Wegner Cramer. Talbot drove the truck into Wegner Cramer which resulted in his death.

With files from (Advocate staff) Black Press Media