RCMP praise Nanaimo man for successful citizen’s arrest

CHEK

Accused drug dealer is back in jail

29 year-old Ryan Lee Abraham is back behind bars. The Port Alberni man was wanted on a warrant when a Nanaimo man chased and caught him Saturday.

It was a rare citizen’s arrest, which the RCMP cautions against.

“Because a lot of these people are high, on drugs, or highly unpredictable,” says Cst. Gary O’Brien with Nanaimo RCMP. “Many carry weapons that could be used against you.”

It began Saturday morning when Rob McCaghren saw a stranger, in his surveillance camera, jump over the fence from his neighbour’s yard and run across his property

Later, his neighbour found a bag on his property containing a number of driver’s licenses, credit cards and tools that could be used for a break-in.

Then, the same man McCraghen had seen earlier came back, possibly to get the bag, so he decided to pursue him.

“My line of thought was get a couple good pictures of him and I’ll be able to identify him from his pictures,” says McCraghren who is 7’1″ and weighs 250 pounds. “Then the little voice clicked, ‘just grab him’.”

McCaghren chased him to University Village Mall and through a liquor store before he caught him.

“Just got him in a headlock and I put him on the ground.”

McCaghren was already on the phone with RCMP and he held Abraham until they came and arrested him. Abraham is was wanted for allegedly violating court conditions to reside at the Comox Valley Recovery Centre, and keep a curfew, before his upcoming drug trial. He’s accused of trafficking meth and heroine in the Alberni Valley.

Mounties say fortunately this citizen’s arrest turned out okay.

“I totally understand why people do what they do and it’s a spur of the moment decision,” says O’Brien. “He felt he wanted to do something and it turned out in his favour so good on him.”

Mounties say it is best to report any suspicious activity directly to them.

Abraham’s next court appearance is set for May 16th.

A date he now awaits behind bars thanks to the quick thinking of one man.

The link to the first CHEK News report about this citizen’s arrest is here

Kendall HansonKendall Hanson

Recent Stories

Send us your news tips and videos!