Wanted man Tony Farrell has long spread fear on Burin Penisula, says mayor | CBC News

A man who has evaded police capture since Wednesday has spread fear throughout the Burin Peninsula for years, and needs to be brought to justice, says Marystown Mayor Brian Keating.

“The quicker this gentleman is behind bars the more peace will come to the peninsula and the residents of Marystown and surrounding areas,” Keating said during a telephone interview Friday morning.

He blames the 36-year-old for much of the crime taking place on the Burin Peninsula, saying criminal activity “skyrockets” when Farrell is around, and there’s a sense of dread in the region.

“He held our town … in captivity because people were afraid to go out without locking their doors. It turned our town from a peaceful, very welcoming and loving town to a town that’s on edge and in fear all the time,” he said.

The RCMP raised the alarm about Farrell, who was wanted on an arrest warrant in relation to a number of criminal charges, on Wednesday afternoon.

Officers armed with assault rifles descended on the Town of Swift Current, about 120 kilometres from Marystown, and roughly 20 kilometres from Goobies on the Trans-Canada Highway, searching for a man the RCMP said was reported to be carrying weapons “with the intent to use them.”

Residents were advised to stay inside with doors and windows locked, and at one point the road through the community was closed by police. The search involved drones, neighbourhood canvassing and a police dog.

But if Farrell was in Swift Current, he managed to evade capture, because a four-plus-hour search came up empty, and security measures were lifted.

The manhunt shifted to the tiny community of Goose Cove, not far from Swift Current, on Thursday, with police again warning residents to stay sheltered inside their homes.

But once again, the search ended without an arrest.

According to a July 19 RCMP news release, Farrell is facing charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, two counts of failure to stop for police, possession of stolen property, resisting arrest and breach of probation.

Keating said he’s hopeful that no one is harmed during the manhunt, and that Farrell is brought to justice.

“We really want the RCMP and the judicial system to put Mr. Farrell in the position he needs to be in for the next multiple years,” he said.

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