Global News has obtained exclusive video of the moment a stolen taxi crashed into a convenience store’s front door in Saskatoon on Wednesday morning.
The incident occurred at 6:41 a.m., about an hour before the same suspect was allegedly involved in leading police on a high-speed chase throughout several neighbourhoods and the downtown core.
Saskatoon police said in a release on Wednesday that a 32-year-old man was in custody after allegedly assaulting a taxi driver and stealing their vehicle, before crashing into the 1 Stop Convenience Store on 22nd Street West near Avenue P. The suspect allegedly stole cash before running away.
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About an hour later, at 7:53 a.m., police said the man allegedly stole a maintenance truck near Wiggins Avenue South and Cascade Street in the Avalon neighbourhood.
The driver allegedly refused to stop, setting off a police chase involving dozens of police cruisers and the service’s Bearcat tactical vehicle.
Police said the suspect rammed police vehicles in two separate instances, one of which resulted in officers firing their guns at the stolen truck. The bullets did not injure the suspect.
The chase ended at 8:32 a.m. when an officer successfully rammed the stolen truck at the Valley Road exit off Circle Drive West, causing the truck to flip multiple times, according to witness accounts.
The suspect was pulled out through the windshield of the truck but allegedly didn’t comply with officers, resulting in a K9 unit being deployed. The man was taken to hospital with injuries consistent with a dog bite.
Police say the suspect is facing 18 charges:
- Four counts of assaulting a police officer with a weapon
- Four counts of robbery
- Two counts of hit and run
- Assault with a weapon
- Mischief over $5,000
- Theft of Motor Vehicle
- Evade Police
- Impaired Driving
- Dangerous Driving
- Breach of a release order
- Breach of probation
He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Thursday in Saskatoon Provincial Court.
