Durham Police yesterday said a dangerous call involving a distraught male with a knife was successfully concluded with the use of a Conducted Energy Weapon (taser).
On November 1 at about 9:55 pm, members of West Division were called to a car shop on Hunt Street in Ajax regarding the theft of a vehicle. Officers attended the area searching for a white Ford F150 pickup that had been stolen from the business, said a police statement
At around 10:25 pm, a K-9 Officer located the stolen vehicle at the Ajax Community Centre and engaged the driver. The driver of the stolen vehicle then confronted the officer with a knife. The officer demanded he drop the weapon, but the male refused and fled on foot, the statement said.
During the foot chase, a Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) was deployed unsuccessfully. The suspect was chased on foot to an area behind the No Frills store at Bayly Street West and Monarch Avenue.
Additional officers arrived on scene and cornered the suspect, still armed with the knife, near Lankester Lane. The suspect began harming himself with the knife and the CEW was deployed again, this time successfully. The suspect was disarmed, arrested and treated at scene by Durham Paramedic Services for minor injuries, police said.
The 51-year-old Ajax male was charged with: Assault Peace Officer with a Weapon; Theft of Motor Vehicle; Possession of Proceeds of Crime Over $5,000; Possession of Schedule I Substance x2; Possession of Weapons Dangerous to the Public; Drive Under Suspension and Breach of Probation x6. He was taken for a mental health assessment and also held for a bail hearing.
No officers were injured during this call. Anyone with new information about this investigation is asked to contact Cst. McDonald of West Division at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 2521.