Charges withdrawn against young farmers arrested during checkstop

CALGARY – The Alberta Crown has withdrawn charges against two young farmers following a run-in with sheriffs at a checkstop, where their tractor was towed away.

Jeremia Leussink was travelling from one field to another near Didsbury on July 31, when he was stopped by Alberta Sheriffs performing a highway checkstop.

Frustrated by a long line of cars, family said Leussink drove into a ditch to get into the next field, prompting sheriffs to pull him out of the tractor and demand he take a breathalyzer.

WATCH: Video shows arrest of teen farmer

Leussink, 19, faced several charges, including resisting arrest.

An older brother, who later showed up and got involved in the dispute with sheriffs, was also was charged with obstructing a police officer and causing a disturbance.

“Jeremia was driving to the field he was supposed to go to, and he saw ten cars in front of him, and he was wondering what was going on – so he thought well my field is right there all I need to take is go in the ditch for 500 metres and then I am at my field,” said Dominic Leussink, Jeremia’s brother.

“They impounded the tractor and we had previously given sheriff’s instructions that they can not tow the tractor otherwise it will do damage to the transmission. Jeremia had told them that, and I had told them that, but when we got there, the tractor was already on the truck.”

The family’s lawyer, Tonii Roulston, said the charges against both men were withdrawn after the Crown did a proper assessment of the case and whether there was a likelihood of a conviction.

She said the family is thankful and relieved.

The family launched a GoFundMe page last month to cover lawyer fees. The fundraiser has collected over $73,000.

The Leussink’s said any money left over will be donated to a charity of the family’s choosing.

 

With files from CityNews 

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