A Perth trio allegedly involved in a 3½-hour police chase across multiple suburbs on Wednesday afternoon has fronted court, with one of the accused a 15-year-old boy.
WA Police said the pursuit of an allegedly stolen red Range Rover SUV began in Bertram around 2pm and ended in West Perth just after 5.30pm when the vehicle was boxed in by several police cars.
A spokeswoman said the vehicle was allegedly stolen from a reserve in Mount Pleasant on February 17 and had since been involved in a number of “cross-district stealing, burglary, stolen motor vehicle and traffic offences”.
“About 2pm yesterday, Wednesday 22 February 2023, police sighted the Range Rover travelling northbound on Kwinana Freeway, near Bertram,” she said.
“Officers activated emergency lights and sirens and attempted to stop the vehicle; however, the driver failed to stop.
“An evade police incident ensued, with Police Air Wing monitoring the vehicle as it travelled through multiple metropolitan districts and assisting police units on the ground.
“About 5.35pm, the Range Rover came to a stop after it crashed into several vehicles – including a police vehicle – on Wellington Street in West Perth.”
It’s understood dozens of police officers were involved in the chase.
Rockingham man Jayden Hughes-Odgers, 33, Lockridge man Dallas Lavercombe, 27, and a 15-year-old Girrawheen boy have been charged over the pursuit.
The boy’s mother, a 49-year-old woman from Lockridge, has also been charged in relation to the car theft, and has been summonsed to appear in Fremantle Magistrates Court at a later date.
The pursuit comes a week after WA Police Union acting president Paul Gale called on officers to avoid pursuits after it was revealed 26 officers were under investigation for their role in a high-profile chase in 2022.
The alleged driver of the Range Rover, Jayden Hughes-Odgers (left) and the alleged passenger, Dallas Lavercombe (right).
The chase, along with Wednesday’s pursuit, involved police using the “boxing in” manoeuvre.
Gale said the method was a dangerous tactic and that police were often not trained to carry it out.
“The boxing in tactic clearly works,” he said.
“Nothing else was going to stop them – stingers didn’t work, barricades weren’t used. We support using this but not without training.
“It boggles my mind that the agency would train us to use a fire extinguisher but they won’t teach us to carry out this US-style tactic.”
The flight path of a police aircraft following the pursuit from the sky shows the length of the chase. Credit: Facebook
A woman who witnessed Wednesday’s chase as the Range Rover sped down High Road in Riverton described the incident was frightening.
“I got a fright because the car took the roundabout at 60km/h and then just took off,” she said.
“My husband had to take evasive action to avoid him and then a white police car went past us at speed and then three more unmarked police cars all came up behind us, weaving in and out of traffic.
“I know they drive well, and they’re taught to do it, but it’s just so dangerous.”
Police box in a stolen vehicle after a 3½-hour pursuit.Credit: WA INCIDENT ALERTS
Gale said there had been 67 police pursuits in February so far, an increase of 50 per cent on the same time last year.
He called on the police commissioner to put more stringent safety and legal measures in place for officers engaging in pursuits.
“My message to the commissioner today is simple, give us the boxing in tactic and even the pit manoeuvre,” he said.
“Bring experts over to teach us to carry out this tactic and provide us with the legal protection that we need and the vehicles that are to be used for these tactics.”
Hughes-Odgers was remanded in custody to appear in Perth Magistrate’s Court again next month while Lavercombe was granted bail.
The 15-year-old boy was also remanded in custody after being unable to appear in the Children’s Court on Thursday morning.
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