A male suspect is in custody following a shooting in Toronto which resulted in a police pursuit that closed a portion of northbound Highway 400 near Barrie early Wednesday morning.
Toronto police said officers responded to a call of a carjacking around 6:30 a.m. at a parking lot in the area of Finch Avenue West and Norfinch Drive when they heard gunshots.
Toronto EMS said a woman in her 50s was shot and taken to hospital in serious condition. A male in his 60s was assaulted but suffered minor injuries.
Police said the suspect fled the area in a vehicle and fired shots at the officers.
“They were able to locate a suspect vehicle and the suspect vehicle as they were following it, the suspect allegedly fired shots at the officers,” Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters at the scene on Norfinch Drive.
“At some point in time, the vehicle stopped again somewhere on Highway 400 and Rutherford. Officers thought this was the end of it, but as they approached the vehicle the suspect opened fire at the officers again.”
The police pursuit, which involved multiple Ontario Provincial Police cruisers, continued northbound on Highway 400 where officers deployed a controlled tire deflation device, also known as a “spike belt,” just south of Memorial Avenue in Barrie.
“My understanding is that the individual may have swerved around that spike belt which caused him to exit at Memorial Avenue and subsequently flee his vehicle,” OPP Sgt. Peter Leon said.
WATCH: Toronto police chase ends in Orillia and in an arrest. Sean O’Shea reports.
After the suspect exited the vehicle, police said an OPP helicopter spotted the man and officers apprehended him a short time later.
“The individual arrested at the scene has been transported back to the Toronto Police Service jurisdiction where their investigation is continuing,” Leon explained.
Police said a gun was also recovered near the scene of the arrest.
Leon said an OPP vehicle was involved in a collision with another vehicle during the pursuit but no one was injured.
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Police said the heavy police presence and the number of officers involved in the chase was appropriate due to the circumstances and severity of the situation.
“It was a collective effort made by law enforcement to ensure public safety was not compromised in any way,” Leon said.
“As you can appreciate with an individual that has had interaction with police and shots were fired, public safety is paramount importance of law enforcement.”
Toronto’s police chief also expressed his concern over the brazen shooting that targeted his officers.
“It’s never a good day when people are shooting at my officers,” Saunders said.
“I’m a little bit concerned about the gun play of anyone at any time in the city, but especially when they’re shooting at law enforcement. That raises the bar quite a bit.”
Toronto police said they are searching for a possible second armed suspect who may be involved in the carjacking.
The industrial area where the attempted carjacking and shooting took place remains cordoned off for the investigation.
“Let’s make sure that we don’t have an outstanding individual currently on location,” Supt. Tony Riviere said. “Once that’s alleviated, then we’ll bring in our forensic team to gather some evidence and once that’s done, then we’ll try to return the employees to their places of work.”
Thirty-two-year-old Kristian Jarvis has been charged in connection with the incident.
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