carjackings toronto

Wild helicopter chase footage shows takedown of Toronto carjacking suspects

A pair of police takedowns was captured by helicopter in the latest wild carjacking-related footage out of the Greater Toronto Area.

On Saturday, August 5 at approximately midnight, York Regional Police (YRP) received a report of a thwarted gunpoint carjacking attempt in the area of Mistysugar Trail and Thornhill Woods Drive in Vaughan.

Roughly 30 minutes later, YRP responded to a call of a carjacking in the area of Fairburn Drive and Highway 7 East in Markham. A victim reported their Mercedes-Benz SUV had been stolen at gunpoint by two suspects.

Officers on the ground attempted to stop the stolen car and a second vehicle carrying another suspect, but the drivers fled from police at high speeds.

A YRP patrol helicopter, Air 2, managed to get a visual on the stolen vehicle, and assisted with the pursuit from above as the male suspect fled westbound on Finch Avenue.

Eventually, the suspect stopped at a gas station, apparently unaware that eyes in the sky were keeping tabs on the stolen car's movements. It was at this gas station that police would move in for the arrest, however, upon noticing his car boxed in by officers, the suspect fled on foot from within the gas station.

The pursuit then continued on foot, and as officers made chase, Air2's infrared cameras captured the suspect hurling an object onto a nearby roof.

Officers caught up to the suspect and placed him under arrest — all captured from above by Air2. Shortly after, the chopper surveying from above located the tossed item — identified by police as a loaded handgun — on a residential driveway.

The 18-year-old male suspect from Toronto was later charged with numerous offences related to robbery, possession of a firearm, dangerous driving and fleeing police.

YRP stated that the accused was out on bail for unrelated charges at the time of the alleged carjacking, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

But that was just one of two suspects involved in the carjacking, and police would catch up with the second suspect accused in the theft, who was pursued while driving an allegedly stolen Jaguar Pace just two days later.

Helicopter footage captured the suspect vehicle with two occupants pulling into a Home Depot parking lot in Toronto, where the car was boxed in from all sides and the driver can be seen surrendering to officers.

Police allege that when the male occupant stepped out of the vehicle, a handgun fell from his lap. The driver, of Toronto, is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Lead photo by

YRP


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