Suspect already in handcuffs allegedly steals Toronto police SUV with two dogs inside
A suspect already in handcuffs has allegedly managed to overpower a Toronto police officer and steal their SUV, sending police on a wild early morning chase that ended with an attempted carjacking.
Officers said they were called to a break and enter at the corner of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue before 4:30 a.m., where they located a male suspect and began to detain him.
In the course of the arrest, the suspect managed to overpower an arresting officer after handcuffs were placed on him, and jump into a police canine unit SUV, police said.
He then allegedly sped away to the west, with two police dogs sitting in the back of the vehicle.
Police said the suspect then crashed the SUV after pulling into the parking lot of a Metro grocery store in the Keele Street and Lawrence Avenue area.
Before police arrived, the suspect allegedly approached several cars and tried to open them, and then flagged down a taxi in an attempt to carjack it.
In exclusive video obtained by CTV News Toronto, an individual is seen running through an intersection towards a tax. The person proceeds to repeatedly hit the window on the driver’s side, eventually smashing the glass.
The driver of the taxi starts to drive away while the individual clings to the side of the vehicle.
A resident who provided the video described the incident as “scary,” and said she thought someone “was going to die.”
“He was yelling at the cab driver to open the door and when he didn’t, he smashed through,” she said.
A short time later police caught up with the suspect and took him into custody. He was transported to a hospital trauma centre in non-life-threatening condition.
The taxi driver was taken to local hospital with minor injuries, police said. The dogs in the back of the police vehicle were not harmed.
Toronto police Insp. Craig Young called the incident “quite extraordinary.”
“It was an audacious move to take a police car and engage in this kind of activity, it’s just extraordinary,” he said.
A large amount of debris was seen along Keele Street leading up to the grocery store.
Asked how a suspect could steal a police vehicle in such a manner, Craig said several times they were still working to determine what transpired, or if an internal probe into police practice was needed.
--With files from CP24's Beatrice Vaisman.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Advocacy groups speak out against domestic violence comments by Nova Scotia minister
Several Nova Scotia groups that assist women are speaking out against comments on domestic violence by Justice Minister Brad Johns, and at least one is calling for his dismissal.
A couple lost their wedding rings during the ceremony. Two strangers found a fitting solution
Every good wedding has to have one teensy, tiny crisis.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.