Hamilton police are looking for two suspects — including a man in handcuffs — after a van allegedly smashed into a police cruiser in the middle of an arrest.
Officers were called to a parking lot on Fennell Avenue East near Upper Ottawa Street shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday for a report of people behaving suspiciously and looking inside parked vehicles.
Police say when they arrived they found a man and a woman sleeping inside a black 2018 Acura TLX which had been reported stolen. Officers parked their cruiser to block the vehicle in before ordering the pair out of the car.
While the arrest was in progress, police say a white cube van parked nearby began squealing its tires, then reversed and accelerated, ramming into the parked cruiser twice and sending it careening into a second police cruiser. Not only was the cruiser extremely damaged, but the impact also forced it out of the way so that the Acura was no longer blocked in.
During the mayhem, police say the woman and the man were able to get back into the stolen Acura and escape, adding the man had his wrists in handcuffs behind his back when he fled.
Police say officers were able to arrest the driver of the white van before he was able to escape flee the scene.
During that arrest, they discovered that the white 2008 Ford Econoline van had also been stolen and the driver was wanted on an outstanding warrant.
Barry Baldwin, 47, faces multiple charges, including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and was held for bail.
Police are searching for the man and woman who escaped — they were last seen travelling northbound on High Street.
The woman is described as 30 years old with a medium build, between 5’6″ and 5’8″, with shoulder length brown hair parted in the middle. She was wearing dark clothes.
The man is described as having a medium build and short light brown hair, unshaven and wearing handcuffs.
The stolen vehicle is a black four-door 2018 Acura TLX with the license plate CCZJ 117.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hamilton Police Mountain Station Patrol Staff Sergeant at 905-546-3886 or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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