TORONTO -- A suspect wanted for allegedly striking and dragging a Toronto police officer with a stolen vehicle has now been arrested and formally charged with attempted murder.

On Nov. 21, shortly before 11:30 p.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Eglinton Avenue West and Weston Road in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood.

The officer heard the sounds of gunshots nearby and then saw a vehicle fleeing the area at a high rate of speed, police said.

The officer pursued the vehicle and eventually caught up with it at Scarlett Road and East Drive and signaled for the driver to stop.

Police said the officer then got out of his cruiser to approach the vehicle before he was struck.

“...As a result of that there was an interaction with the vehicle and the officer where the officer was on the hood of the car [and] taken away by the driver on the hood of the car and eventually fell off the vehicle and sustained substantial injuries,” Toronto Police Supt. Ron Taverner said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

At the press conference police played a video of the incident from the officer’s dash camera which showed the officer’s cruiser following the suspect vehicle for some time before the officer stopped and exited his vehicle to approach the suspect vehicle. Soon after the officer is struck by the suspect vehicle and seen on top of the vehicle’s hood as it drives away.

Terry Baksh

Police initially said the officer was dragged for more than 50 metres by the vehicle but now say he was dragged for more than nine metres.

“In a matter of seconds you can travel a fair distance as you can see from the speeds that he was taking off...That’s fairly significant to be on a vehicle that long,” Taverner said.

The officer was taken to hospital with serious injuries and has since been released.

Taverner said investigators obtained a partial licence plate number of the suspect vehicle and were able to determine that the vehicle was stolen.

Police also released the identity of a man wanted in connection with the investigation over the weekend.

On Tuesday, police said a suspect was arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Terry Baksh, a 39-year-old Toronto resident, is facing charges of attempt murder, assault with a weapon, dangerous driving, flight from police, disqualified driver, possession of property obtained by crime, and failing to comply with a release order.