18-year-old charged with impaired driving, assaulting police: Southern Georgian Bay OPP

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to remove the name of the accused as the charges were withdrawn. 

An 18-year-old Etobicoke, Ont., man has been charged with impaired driving and assaulting peace officers following an incident Saturday evening that started in Penetanguishene and ended in Midland, Ont., Southern Georgian Bay OPP say.

Officers say they were dispatched shortly after 7 p.m. for a report of a possible impaired driver in the area of Fox and Broad streets in Penetanguishene.

An officer found the vehicle’s occupants in a nearby park, and after further investigation, they found and arrested the driver.

While the officer was transporting the driver to the police detachment, they had to make a detour to Georgian Bay General Hospital to get medical assistance for the suspect, police say.

When they arrived at the hospital, the suspect assaulted the officer, a hospital security guard and an OPP shift sergeant, police allege.

After the suspect was treated for his medical issue, he was transported to the police detachment from the hospital. On the way there, police say the suspect damaged the interior of the OPP cruiser.

The suspect was subsequently charged with impaired operation of a vehicle, four counts of assaulting a peace officer, causing a disturbance, failure or refusal to comply with a demand and mischief under $5,000.

The accused’s driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days.

He will appear before court in Midland in October.