Toronto police say four men are facing a combined 97 charges after a shocking broad daylight street chase in Regent Park on Monday in which four vehicles were damaged, a police officer run down and shots fired.
Amazingly, no one was hurt after plainclothes officers engaged suspects around 2:30 p.m. near Parliament and Dundas Street East.
“The occupants in the vehicle were wearing hooded sweat tops tied tight around their faces and sunglasses on a humid day which appeared to be an attempt to disguise their identity,” Const. Jen Sidhu told Global Newsradio 640Toronto. “The officer called for assistance, and a second plainclothes officer arrived to observe the same vehicle.”
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Sidhu said one of the four men got out of the vehicle on Parliament Street and fired a gun in a “northerly” direction before getting back into the car which proceeded to drive off pursued by the two officers.
The vehicle was eventually boxed in by responding marked and unmarked police cruisers at Sherbourne and Shuter streets. As officers attempted to enter the vehicle to arrest the occupants, the driver attempted an escape.
“The driver reversed the vehicle, collided with a police vehicle and drove at a police officer striking him but not causing serious injury.”
The suspect driver then drove west into oncoming traffic down Shuter Street, ignored a red light and collided with a taxi at the intersection of Jarvis and Shuter.
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The vehicle then drove north on Jarvis at oncoming traffic to Dundas East pursued by police, before making a left-hand turn onto Dundas colliding with another cab.
“The vehicle continued westbound on Dundas Street on the east sidewalk narrowly missing pedestrians.”
The driver then crashed into a police cruiser and garbage cans attempting to make a high-speed turn onto Mutual Avenue. All four men then exited the vehicle pursued on foot by police.
All four men were eventually apprehended by police along with two firearms and transported to 51 division.
Shakiem Anderson, 21, of Mississauga; Harlem Baldwin, 20, of Toronto; Sharrieff Muhammad, 22, of Toronto; and Kareemallah Muhammad, 18, of Toronto are facing 97 charges combined in connection to the possession and misuse of firearms, dangerous driving and failure to remain.
All four men made a court appearance on Tuesday and are remanded in custody until their next court appearance on Tuesday, June 5.
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