A 31-year-old man accused of leading police officers on a high-speed pursuit from Toronto to Orillia following a storm of gunpoint carjackings Wednesday morning has been handed 34 charges.
The charges stem from a series of violent and sporadic incidents, starting at around 2 a.m.
Toronto police say they were called to a rooming house on Hertzberg Gardens, near York University, after the suspect allegedly fired a gun at his brother.
Three hours later, police say the suspect tried to steal an unattended vehicle near 1280 Finch Avenue West, another vehicle near 150 Norfinch Drive and a third mere minutes away from Toronto police’s 31 Division.
Shortly before 7 a.m., police say the same man approached two sisters sitting in a Honda Civic on Norfinch Drive and shot the driver as she sat in the vehicle.
The suspect then got into the woman’s vehicle and took off, sparking a dramatic police pursuit down Highway 400.
While being trailed by numerous cruisers, police say the suspect twice struck his arm out the window of the Honda and fired shots in the direction of Toronto officers. No officers were injured during the pursuit.
The chase came to an end shortly after Ontario Provincial Police deployed a spike belt near Memorial Avenue and Highway 11 in Orillia.
Despite this, the suspect was able to swerve away from the belt and exit his vehicle. Video from the scene shows the suspect jump a guardrail in an attempt to evade officers on foot.
A suspect identified as Kristian Jarvis was arrested at gunpoint a short time later.
Police K-9 units later found a firearm allegedly discarded by the suspect during the foot chase.
Jarvis appeared briefly in a Toronto courtroom Thursday morning.
He is facing a list of charges including six counts of attempted murder, five counts of possession of a weapon, four counts of robbery with a firearm, one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and one count of theft of a motor vehicle.
He is due back in court via video on July 11.
