By Tommy Osborne

Police incident

Days after traumatic experience involving guns, trustee shares her story

Jan 30, 2026 | 4:50 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – On January 27, School District 57 Trustee Erica McLean was driving to pick her son up from school, in what was expected to be a routine day. However, once she pulled into a parking lot in College Heights to send a quick email, she quickly found herself facing multiple guns pointed her way by police officers.

“I’m sure, but not certain, there were five police officers with their weapons drawn and pointed at me, all yelling, and I tried to understand what was happening and what they were yelling. There was a lot of shock that happened within these seconds, and it really did feel like time had slowed down. I really did feel like my life was at risk,” McLean said.

“I became hyper aware that I had my cell phone in my hand, or if I put my hands down in some way to take off my seatbelt or put my phone down, I became hyper aware that I could be shot, because there were so many weapons pointed at me at that moment,” she continued.

Once she was told to exit her vehicle, she says she was handcuffed and told her vehicle had been reported stolen.

Voices & Culture Summit is more than a conference its creates a place of belonging in the North

1h ago

Expo

4th annual Northern RV & Outdoor Expo underway at CN Centre

1h ago

Muay Thai

Five Prince George fighters named to Team Canada Muay Thai Team

20h ago

“I was starting to tear up. I was in a panic, and I just kept asking, ‘what is happening? How does this happen? What is happening?'” she said.

The incident occurred because the vehicle McLean was driving, a black Volkswagen Taos SUV, matched the description of a vehicle that was reported stolen, which Prince George RCMP say could have potentially had ties to a criminal syndicate.

“Our threat assessment on that, or our level of risk, was deemed high based on what we know about that group. And when that traffic stop occurred, it was rolled out in response to those threat assessments that we do anytime we’re going to be looking for something like a stolen vehicle or suspects in a crime,” said Corporal Jennifer Cooper with the Prince George RCMP.

McLean and Cooper both said that police have offered McLean supports, but in the days following the incident she says she’s still having troubles sleeping and focusing.

“I continue to just be very anxious and angry. I have waves of all of those human emotions, anxiety, fear, and just that I’m still experiencing a lot of fight or flight after everything that’s happened in terms of the response from community as well,” McLean explained.

“I really do feel like I froze in that moment and time stood still and I became hyper aware that my life could… any mishap, any misjudgment of my hands, I could be shot,” she added.

McLean said she didn’t want to comment on the RCMP’s decision making, as she doesn’t know about their specific process leading up that moment, but she says she has many questions.

“There was a small space and time where it was decided that I was a threat to their safety and public safety, which warranted that level of response. That small time and space is where I have a world of questions,” she said.

“I am an elected official in community, and I hope that my community and beyond would understand, or would believe, that I would approach this just the same as any other situation I would in leadership: with calm and care and thoughtful work,” she added.

As for the five people who were in the stolen vehicle, they were arrested and are currently in custody.