A man who pleaded guilty to stealing a police car and joyriding through a Vancouver park in 2024 will have another bail hearing after being denied bail in Vancouver Provincial Court in October 2024.
Dustin Walter Tallio is charged with theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving causing bodily harm and failing to stop causing bodily harm.
In a video shared with Lodestar Media, a Vancouver Police Department cruiser can be seen driving in circles near a busy playground on Oct. 6, 2024, around 11 a.m.
Tallio has had 39 court appearances. He pleaded guilty March 21 before Judge David St. Pierre, according to court documents, but remains in custody.
He appeared by video before Judge Donna Senniw on July 10.
The judge ordered a technical suitability report (TSR) for a possible bail release.
While a Criminal Code publication ban bars publishing details of a bail hearing in order to protect an accused’s rights at trial, Tallio’s name was removed from the online public court docket.
No information other than the file number, name of an accused, the charges, reason for a hearing and a lawyer’s name appear on those lists.
None of that information violates the publication ban.
The bail hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22.
The case was adjourned to July 25 to confirm completion of the TSR.
What happened?
Robert Farr was walking his dog around Vancouver's Templeton Park when he spotted a police vehicle driving at an excessive speed.
"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 can 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.
