CBC News has learned the 31-year-old faces three drug-trafficking charges in Clarenville provincial court. He is accused of selling hydromorphone, cocaine and methamphetamine dating back to May 2021. A look at his Facebook page shows a man who has been proud to become a father in recent months. He rides motorcycles and likes fishing. But a look at his list of criminal convictions shows Fowler had run-ins with the law before his most recent charges. He was convicted of seven breaches of court orders and one conviction for failing to appear in court. All eight offenses date from 2011 and 2012. According to records reviewed by CBC News, Fowler had never been convicted of a violent crime. He is now accused of shooting at least two men in Conception Bay South on Thursday. The Royal Newfoundland Police say they are also investigating a possible third shooting, but it was unclear if a third person was injured. Two men remain in hospital, at least one in serious condition. This was the scene where Matthew Fowler’s alleged escape from the police came to an end. He was removed from the sedan, searched and taken into custody, according to witnesses. (Ryan Cooke/CBC) Fowler’s newest charges are expected to be announced Friday when he makes his first appearance in provincial court in St. John’s. In addition to the shooting, Fowler may also face charges of fleeing from police. Witnesses say they saw him speeding down the St. Thomas in Paradise just before 2:30 p.m. on Thursday with police in hot pursuit. An officer set up a spike strip, puncturing the tires of the Hyundai Elantra Fowler was driving. He then made contact with a pair of vehicles, which threw him inside. Witnesses told CBC News they saw the crash and watched as police pulled Fowler from the vehicle and detained him.
1st emergency notice ever issued by the RNC
About 45 minutes before the manhunt ended, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary used the province’s emergency notification system to ping cell phones in northeast Avalon to alert them of the shooter. “Active criminal threat — Gunman on the loose after three shootings in CBS City,” the alert read. “The RNC is advising the community to shelter in place.” It was the first time the RNC used the alert system to alert the public to an active situation. The move was met with thanks from members of the public, including people who said it kept them out of harm’s way as the chase unfolded. “The person in question drove down our street in front of my house at 100km/h with police in pursuit (and) sirens on,” local resident Pat Rogers wrote on Twitter. “The alarm made me lock my doors and stay inside with my two grandchildren.” An emergency alert from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary was sent at 1:39 p.m. of Thursday. (Matt McCann/CBC) “This notice has changed our plans and kept us home,” wrote another local, Moiraine Blue. “We would have traveled to the exact area we were told to stay away from. It kept us out of harm’s way and away from responding officers. Very good call, RNC.” The Department of Justice and Public Safety’s emergency services division oversees the warning system. It is part of the nationwide Alert Ready system, which can hit cell phones in a specific area with a push notification and a noisy alarm. It was used by many police forces across Canada in situations where public safety was an urgent concern, but it is perhaps best known for a time when it was not used — during Canada’s worst mass shooting in Portapique, NS Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
