TORONTO -- Durham police say that a quick-thinking Good Samaritan offered up their vehicle to help an officer chase down a suspect in Pickering on Friday, bringing an end to what they say was a “dangerous situation.”
Police say that officers were responding to an impaired driving complaint in the area of Finch Avenue and Fairport Road at around 6:30 p.m. on Friday when they observed the suspect driving into oncoming traffic.
They say that the suspect then struck a parked vehicle at Delta Boulevard and got out and began running eastbound on Kingston Road, nearly avoiding being hit by several vehicles in the process.
A police officer initially attempted to pursue the man on foot but was unable to catch up to him and could not safely continue the pursuit due to the heavy traffic in the area at the time.
That is when the Good Samaritan offered to let the officer stand on the passenger side foot rails of his Jeep while he drove after the suspect, police say.
The pair then caught up to the suspect near the ramp from Kingston Road to westbound Highway 401.
Police say that the suspect “lunged at the officer,” prompting her to deploy a conducted energy weapon. That weapon was then subsequently deployed multiple times because the suspect “remained threatening and uncooperative” until additional officers arrived at the scene and were able to secure him, police say.
Vasilis Profitis, 31, is charged with seven offences, including failure to stop for police and leaving the scene of an accident.
Police say that both the officer and the Good Samaritan will be recommended for citations for their roles in his arrest.
