Man who rammed RCMP vehicle Friday in Chilliwack a convicted killer from Alberta who once thought he killed a different man
John Van Liere sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter in 2003, beat a man nearly to death in Merritt in 2020
“Yo, I’m in Merritt and I’m in trouble,” John Van Liere texted a friend late at night on Feb. 16, 2020. “I just beat this guy to death in a motel in Merritt. I’m so f--ked. F--k, f--k, f--k.”
He went on to ask a different friend to come with some clothes he could throw out and presumably help with his plan straight out of a movie.
“Do you have any shovels?” the then 40-year-old asked his friend.
Van Liere didn't need the shovels because he didn't kill his friend Chad Conley when he beat him to a bloody pulp in a motel room in Merritt that night. He did plead guilty to aggravated assault in BC Supreme Court in Kamloops in 2021 and was sentenced to four years prison, according to a Castanet story from January of that year.
Van Liere didn't want to go back to jail where he had spent considerable time after being convicted of manslaughter in Lethbridge in 2002.
“I’m not sure he’s alive,” Van Liere said in another text shared with the court. “I’m really scared right now. I don’t want to do another 10 years.”
That was five years ago.
In the early hours of this morning, Friday, May 16, 2025, a Chilliwack RCMP officer saw someone driving a blue BMW erratically and suspected him of impaired driving. He attempted to pull the driver over at the intersection of Yale Road and Hodgins Avenue shortly after 3 a.m.
Instead of co-operating, the driver allegedly struck the police cruiser and two other parked cars while attempting to flee. The car then hit a third vehicle before coming to stop against a street light.
The driver was safely taken into police custody and transported to hospital to be treated for minor injuries. No police officers or members of the public were injured during this incident.
“The male is being held in police custody for a bail hearing, and charges of assault peace officer, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, and impaired operation will be recommended,” according to a news release issued Friday by media relations officer Const. Bradley Holditch.
Van Liere appeared in Abbotsford provincial court Friday morning charged with assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, failure to stop, flight from police, dangerous driving, and again, driving with a suspended licence.
Crown counsel opposed releasing him on bail and he was detained.
This isn't even Van Liere's only current charge before the courts. He was in Chilliwack court on April 22 facing one count of driving with a suspended licence. He is also charged with flight from police and driving without a licence on Dec. 30, 2024 in Chilliwack. He's due in court on May 20 in Abbotsford facing all charges.
Van Liere also has a conviction for possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose in Vancouver in 2015, and assault in Surrey in 2016.
Regarding the Chilliwack incident from Friday, Const. Holditch said the result demonstrates the hard work of front-line officers.
“It showcases the dangers of police work, particularly when initiating traffic stops and officers’ ability to work under high stress and harmful situations, bringing incidents to a safe conclusion.”
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Paul J. Henderson
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