A Peel police officer is in serious condition after being struck by a police cruiser in Mississauga on Sunday.
The incident occurred just before 10 a.m. at the intersection of Barbertown and Mississauga roads.
The male victim was working there as a paid duty officer, according to the SIU’s Jason Gennaro, who spoke to media around 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Police received a call to a break and enter nearby on Sunday morning, to a store near Queen and Kerr streets. Police cruisers were heading northbound on Mississauga Road when one of them struck the officer, Gennaro said.
The cruisers were responding to the break and enter in progress and were “not involved in a pursuit,” he said.
He would not say how many cruisers were involved.
The SIU, who announced they were invoking their mandate later the same day, said they are asking witnesses to come forward. They will be canvassing homes and businesses in the area for video surveillance as well.
The area will remain closed “for a few hours longer,” Gennaro said.
Investigators are trying to determine the rate of speed the police cruiser was going.
"Our investigation will determine whether or not there is a basis to lay criminal charges against what we will determine to be the subject officer in this case -- the person who was driving the cruiser at the time," he said.
The extent of the officer’s injuries are unknown.
The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
