35-year-old Bradley Duff is wanted on several outstanding warrants (Photo: RCMP)

By Shaun Penner

Searching for Duff

Search for wanted man ongoing in High Prairie area

Jun 25, 2020 | 11:15 AM

UPDATE: June 25, 3:25 p.m.: High Prairie RCMP say following a long search, RCMP with assistance from the Police Dog Service found and arrested two males without incident, while Bradley Duff remains at large. High Prairie RCMP say they will continue to investigate, and that the two males remain in custody.

A man who has evaded police custody several times over the past two weeks is now believed to be back in the High Prairie area, and RCMP are asking residents south of the town to be on the lookout.

Early Thursday morning, High Prairie RCMP received a report of a sighting of an individual matching the description of 35-year-old Bradley Gordon Duff in the Gillwood area south of High Prairie, near Township Road 740 and Range Road 170. That same report said a vehicle, which was found to be stolen, was left abandoned in the area.

Authorities now say residents of the area should be vigilant and on the lookout for Duff, who has been sighted on rural properties in the area. Residents are reminded to not approach Duff as he is possibly armed and dangerous and report any sightings of him to RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Photo: RCMP

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RCMP and its support services have a heavy police presence in the area and people are asked to avoid the area and not post photos or video of the situation on social media.

Duff is wanted on several outstanding warrants, and has been on the run from police since June 9 after an incident east of Whitecourt, where he was able to escape custody after being found unconscious in a stolen vehicle near the hamlet of Blue Ridge. He became conscious and was able to escape arrest for outstanding warrants on unrelated matters.

He was later believed to have been spotted in the High Prairie area on June 14 near Triangle Hall where he was reportedly seen outside of a stolen pickup truck along a roadside pullout. That same pickup truck was later reported to be set on fire.

After a lengthy police search, they were not able to locate Duff.

Then, on the evening of June 18, RCMP in Barrhead were called to a report of a break and enter at a home near Fort Assiniboine, where two suspects rammed the complainant’s vehicle as they tried to run from the scene.

As the suspects fled the scene, their vehicle was later found in a ditch along the Athabasca River, where a lengthy search by authorities led to the arrest of a 28-year-old female from Whitecourt. The second suspect, determined through investigation to be Duff, was able to escape.

Duff was then believed to be spotted on the morning of June 23 near Mayerthorpe, where he was allegedly spotted in a stolen truck with a dirt bike in the back that was linked to the incident in Barrhead on June 18. The truck was later found abandoned in the Connor Creek area and tips to police suggested Duff was seen in that area fuelling the dirt bike.

Another lengthy search for Duff by police in the area was unsuccessful.

Duff is facing charges including assault, break and enter, flight from police and dangerous operation of a conveyance. Anyone with information about Duff’s whereabouts is urged to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.