Peel Regional Police say a man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a tow truck and ramming into several cars before taking off to a residential area Friday morning.
The video, which was posted on YouTube on Friday by user Furrukh Ikram, captured the dramatic moments after officers caught up with the tow truck and blocked the driver in, prompting Ontario’s police watchdog to launch an investigation.
When asked about the YouTube video, a police spokesperson confirmed to Global News late Friday that officers were indeed involved in the incident earlier in the day.
The spokesperson said officers were first called just before 11:15 a.m. with reports of multiple men arguing in a plaza parking lot near West Drive and Queen Street East, just east of Highway 410.
It was alleged that a man stole the tow truck and then hit multiple unoccupied vehicles in the parking lot before taking off. No one was reported to be injured.
It wasn’t clear how long it was after that incident before the spokesperson said the vehicle was found somewhere along Hansen Road North.
In the YouTube video, a pickup truck can be seen driving back and forth on the driveway of a home. As the vehicle reverses, a cruiser can be seen speeding toward it and ramming the front of the truck.
It appeared the pickup truck was going to reverse before two more police cruisers speed up and block the vehicle.
The pickup truck can be seen driving forward before officers jump out of their cruisers and run alongside the vehicle, which moves forward slightly as two officers reach toward the driver.
As the vehicle continues to move slightly, the officers appear to repeatedly strike the driver with their arms. As more officers come alongside, the driver is pulled out of the pickup truck.
Meanwhile, multiple other officers rush toward the scene as the driver is taken into custody.
The police spokesperson said the man taken to hospital with unspecified non-life-threatening injuries.
They also said Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), was notified of the arrest.
An SIU spokesperson confirmed to Global News late Friday that the agency is investigating the incident.
The SIU is an independent agency that investigates the conduct of officers responding to calls that have resulted in death, serious injury, or alleged sexual assault. The agency is required to complete its investigation within 120 days or provide a statement as to why further time is needed.
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