Wanted Victoria council candidate arrested in Langley

Source: Victoria Police Department

Wanted Victoria woman Riga Godron was arrested by Langley RCMP, Victoria police announced on Thursday. Godron, 44, is facing charges of obstructing a police officer, flight from police, and driving without due care and attention. She was the subject of a BC-wide warrant after failing to appear in court.

According to police, the charges, which have not yet been proven in court, stem from an incident on Canada Day when two officers had to leap out of the way of a pick-up truck attempting to flee a traffic stop.

The truck, which had a camper in the back, had been improperly parked along Dallas Road and was obstructing traffic, police say. Two officers on bicycles called for a tow truck to move the vehicle.

Before the tow truck arrived, a person who had been filming the officers identified themself as the owner of the vehicle and got into the truck to leave. The officers attempted to detain the person, but police say the driver got into the truck, reversed quickly towards the officers, and fled the area.

Patrol officers later spotted the vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but the driver refused to stop and drove away unsafely. The truck was again spotted driving erratically on Blanshard Street headed in the direction of a road that was closed for Canada Day celebrations at Ship Point. Police vehicles boxed in the truck and the driver was arrested.

A video posted to Godron’s Facebook page on July 1 shows Godron asking officers to stop traffic so that she could back out of the spot. One officer asks if she sees that how she’s parked is problematic. She replies that she does and proceeds to enter the truck and turn it on, despite an officer telling her multiple times she is not free to go.

A later video, again posted to Godron’s Facebook page, shows three officers demanding she get out of the vehicle with the sound of a dog barking in the background. She asks continuously why they are asking her to get out of the truck. "You’re going to get bit by a dog, get out of the car," one of the officers yells before an officer opens the door and she is pulled out of the vehicle.

Godron is currently running for Victoria council, and has appeared on the ballot multiple times in the past. In 2018, she received 1,567 votes for a council seat. In 2014, she ran for mayor, finishing in last place.