On Feb. 7, at approximately 6:45 p.m., Cut Knife RCMP received a report that a man wanted for being unlawfully at large was travelling in a vehicle in their detachment area.

Officers located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver wouldn’t pull over. Officers pursued the vehicle onto Highway 16 as it fled from police. A spike belt was set up and the suspect vehicle drove over it, deflating its tires.

The vehicle continued on Highway 16 at high rate of speed, before coming to a stop outside of Waseca, Sask.

Officers demanded that the two occupants exit the vehicle, but they did not comply.

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Critical Incident Response Team was then engaged. Officers attempted negotiations with the occupants, but non-lethal intervention techniques had to be used to safely arrest them without injury.

Further investigation determined the vehicle had been reported as stolen in Edmonton, Alberta.

Nakota Pooyak, 29, from Sweetgrass First Nation and Warren Littlewolfe, 32, from Edmonton, are each charged with flight from police, possession of stolen property, and resisting/obstructing a peace officer.

Pooyak was also arrested on a warrant for being unlawfully at large.

Both are scheduled to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on Feb. 9.

Highway 16 was closed for approximately six hours during this incident but has since re-opened, according to police.

Several agencies assisted Cut Knife RCMP with the investigation, including Battlefords RCMP, Maidstone RCMP, Lloydminster RCMP, Saskatchewan RCMP’s Warrant Enforcement Response Team and Roving Traffic Unit, Lloydminster Rescue Squad. Wilton Police Service and the Province of Saskatchewan’s Protection and Response Team and Ministry of Highways.