Brett Poncelet turns himself in

January 4, 2019, 9:57 am

Brett Poncelet has turned himself in. Manitoba RCMP issued a Manitoba-wide warrant of arrest for 40-year-old Brett Poncelet in connection with an incident last month in La Salle, Man.

Poncelet is originally from the Whitewood area.

RCMP said around 5:10 a.m. on Dec. 20 they received a report about an assault at a home, at which time the suspect had already fled in a vehicle.

The Mounties said they located the vehicle, and tried to pull the suspect over but he didn’t stop.

Brett Owen Poncelet was wanted on charges of assault, uttering threats and operating a motor vehicle while being pursued by police.

RCMP believe Poncelet could be dangerous and unpredictable.

Brett Poncelet has been licensed as a real estate agent since 2007 and serves the Winnipeg market as well as outlying areas. La Salle is a community just south of Winnipeg.

Police were called just after 5 a.m. December 20 after Poncelet left the home and drove off. Officers spotted his vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but it sped away.

There was a brief chase before the RCMP called it off.

"Safety is always our number 1 concern when it comes to this type of situation — the safety of the suspect, the others on the road and our officers," RCMP spokesperson Tara Seel said.

"When it became clear that the suspect was not stopping, the police car was pulled over, lights and siren turned off, then the vehicle turned around and the officer returned to the residence in La Salle to continue to assist in the investigation."

RCMP posted a tweet with Poncelet's photo from his real estate page with Century 21, saying he is "considered dangerous and unpredictable."

He worked with the Century 21 Bachman & Associates office, but is no longer with them as a result of the charges he faces, a spokesperson said.

On his real estate website, Poncelet says he grew up in a family with three brothers on a farm in Saskatchewan and for the last 12 years has called La Salle his home.