York Regional Police say a man has been charged with attempted murder after an officer was assaulted in a Richmond Hill mall parking lot.
A police spokesperson told Global News the incident happened at around 3:40 p.m. on Friday in the parking lot of Hillcrest Mall, near Yonge Street and Carville Mall.
The spokesperson said the suspect approached the officer, who was inside a parked cruiser near a Marshalls store, and allegedly assaulted them.
In a news release Saturday morning, police said the assault continued outside of the vehicle, at which point the suspect took possession of the officer’s baton.
Video shared on social media appears to have captured part of the incident. It’s believed the suspect was dressed in a full-body, white protective suit.
The officer, who is a four-year veteran of the force, sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said Chidubem Anthony Okeke, 22, has since been charged with attempted murder and failure to comply with recognizance.
He was scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court on Saturday.
Investigators said they are seeking any video surveillance of the incident.