Man charged after trying to drive over Peel police cars

A 25-year-old man is facing multiple charges after trying to drive over police cars in an allegedly stolen vehicle, police say, in an incident widely shared on social media after it took placein Mississauga Tuesday.

It happened just after 6:30 p.m. at Westwood Square near Goreway Drive and Etude Drive, Const.Nikhil Chakravarthytold CBC News in an interview.

"This was a very dynamic situation,"Chakravarthysaid."There was a serious potential for not only passersby but officers and the individual himself to get injured seriously from his behaviour.

"Really, it's unbelievable that the officers were able to resolve this incident without anyone sustaining any injuries," he said though a police news release issued Wednesday afternoon said the accused in the case suffered minor injuries.

Police were first called to the area after receiving reports that a person in possession of weapons anddriving aFord Bronco had returned to that location after stealing from a nearby store a few weeks ago.

Officers found the SUV at a Tim Horton's drive-thru and determined that it had beenstolen inLondon, Ont., Chakravarthy said. Police carssurrounded the vehicle to stop the driver from taking off and numerous videos shot at the scene posted onsocial media show him then trying to get away.

WATCH | Witness recalls seeing man trying to driver over police cruisers:

Man charged after trying to drive over police cars

9 days ago

Duration 2:22

A witness describes the moment he watched a man in an allegedly stolen vehicle try to drive over Peel Regional Police cruisers. As CBCs Dale Manucdoc explains, the 25-year-old driver is now facing several charges.

"Our officers managed to pin the vehicle in to prevent the driver from fleeing, but as you can see in the now-viral videos, the driver tries desperately to break free and at one point even mounts the front end of one of the cruisers,"Chakravarthysaid.

WitnessDavid Porca told CBC News that he was pulling into the parking lot around that time and saw the SUV on top of one of the police vehicles.

"He was trying to get away going reverse ...driving, smashed one of the cars in the back," he said.

The man then tried to get out through the passenger side window of the SUV,Porcasaid, before one officer fired a Taser at him.

"They blocked him in properly they did a good job doing that," he said."I'd never seen anything like that."

Steven Summerville,a former staff sergeant with Torontopolice and a former staff instructor at the Ontario Police College, lauded the way the officers involved handled the situation, preventing injuries or the prospect of a high-speed chase.

"They stopped this situation before it could start that's bang right on," Summerville said.

A 25-year-old Brampton man was charged with three counts of possessing property obtained by crime, flight from and obstruction of a peace officerand dangerous operation of a vehicle.

He was held for a bail hearing.