The man accused of stealing a police car in Vancouver last fall may soon be pleading guilty.
Dustin Walter Tallio is charged with theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving causing bodily harm, failing to stop causing bodily harm, and flight from police.
In a video shared with Glacier Media, a Vancouver Police Department (VPD) cruiser can be seen driving in circles near a busy playground around 11 a.m. on Oct. 6, 2024.
Tallio has already made multiple court appearances. During several appearances, he rejected having a lawyer and said he'd represent himself.
By Oct. 10, he was telling hearings he’d spent enough time in jail and should be released. Then, he began firing lawyers almost as soon as he’d hired them.
Now, however, Tallio is represented by new counsel.
Tallio appeared with that lawyer Tuesday before B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Ker for a bail review.
The lawyer told Ker she and her client are trying to figure out if they want to move forward with the case or to resolve it – court code for a guilty plea.
Ker set the case over for a week for Tallio’s defence to determine which route to take.
What happened?
Robert Farr was walking his dog around Vancouver's Templeton Park when he said he spotted a police vehicle driving at an excessive speed nearby.
"I saw a VPD SUV speeding through a block over,” he said. "It ramped over speed bumps and jumped a curb into the new running track and field by the kids' playground.”
Sgt. Steve Addison said before the incident officers were flagged down near East Hastings and Semolina Drive for a woman in distress at 10:45 a.m.
As police officers stepped out of the vehicle to assist the woman, a person got into the driver’s seat. The man stole the police vehicle and drove it toward a group of families at Templeton Park.
Police say the person drove up on the grass field, near where young families were gathering at a playground and where kids were playing soccer.
Caregivers in the area gathered all the children quickly and were helped by staff at the nearby community centre.
Police officers were on scene three minutes after the car was stolen.
A K9 officer with the VPD could be seen driving to the park and dealing with the vehicle. The police dog and officer arrested the man while other police officers arrived.
Addison said one person was injured during the incident and was nearly struck head-on by the vehicle. He suffered minor injuries and went to the hospital.
The suspect was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
John Turner, a lawyer who previously attempted to help Tallio, told the judge that the man had been bitten by a dog.
