Ottawa police hunting for motorcyclist who may be armed

Ottawa police say they are tracking a motorcyclist who has been driving erratically on local highways and pointing a handgun at drivers who won’t move out of his way.

Investigators released a photo of the suspect on Thursday morning after the latest sighting.

They say they have been receiving complaints since the beginning of June about the man, who “drives erratically” in traffic. He has been spotted mostly in the western end of the city, always on a bright red Honda CBR motorcycle.

“The driver also brandished a handgun to other vehicles that did not give enough room for passing,” a release said. 

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The driver also brandished a handgun to other vehicles that did not give enough room for passing," <a href="http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/News/index.aspx?newsId=bf00a59f-d8d7-4b76-a180-d4556ad1a752">a release said. </a>

The most recent sighting was Thursday around 9:40 a.m. in the Dwyer Hill Road area near and Highway 7. Motorists who encounter the man are being urged not to confront him and to call 911 immediately.

As of Thursday, there had been no reports of injuries or accidents tied to the suspect.

The license plate on the motorcycle “has either been missing from the motorcycle or has been found to be a fake,” according to police.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: The license plate on the motorcycle "has either been missing from the motorcycle or has been found to be a fake," according to police.

Anyone with information about the suspect can call Ottawa Police’s call centre at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300.  Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or by downloading the Ottawa Police app.