THUNDER BAY – A 29-year-old man from Pikangikum First Nation has been charged with public mischief after police determined his claim of being nearly abducted last week was false.
The Thunder Bay Police Service on Thursday issued a news release, stating the man who claimed to be a victim of the early morning incident on July 18 provided a false statement to police.
"An abduction is a serious offence. That is a public safety concern," Det.-Sgt. Tracy Lewis said.
"It puts members of the public in fear that we don't need that added to what's already happening. That was the frustration. You know the officers are going to do the work. That's why we're here. But it's adding that to our city's reputation where we're working really hard to improve that and make it positive so people do feel safe in Thunder Bay."
The statement claimed that the man was walking in the area of Arthur and James streets just after 5 a.m. when he was approached by a black van, which had four occupants, and was pulled inside before being able to escape.
Police said the incident became a major case for its criminal investigations branch, which included a public appeal for information. The ensuing investigation, which also included police's aboriginal liaison unit, was described as thorough and involved considerable time.
"When we look at the timeline for an event like this, we have to get back to the very beginning where it started and where the person ended up being in order to make the 911 call," Lewis said.
"Using that timeline of the statement that was taken, you go back and confirm all those details because we're attempting to figure out who actually did this, if it happened, because we want to get those people apprehended. As we started to gather that information, that's when it was discovered it was not factual within the statement."
The accused is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 23.
In the news release, police reminded the public that making a false statement is a criminal offence, and is also a serious drain of police investigative resources.
