A police car had its door torn off, but no one was seriously injured during the takedown of a stolen vehicle on the Nanaimo Parkway.
The incident happened around 2 p.m. Wednesday when police spotted a pickup, reported stolen Oct. 26, travelling northbound on the highway.
“We came across a stolen vehicle that was on the move northbound along the parkway,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman.
When the pickup stopped at the Nanaimo Parkway and Northfield Road intersection, police moved in to block the truck from moving again.
“In doing so, one of the attending police cars, from an outside jurisdiction, [its] brakes failed and hit the other police car, basically taking the driver’s side door off.”
Two officers received minor injuries from the collision, but did not require hospitalization and remained on duty and the safety of the 26 year old male suspect was not jeopardized by the incident.
“The suspect was taken into custody,” O’Brien said. “A search of his belongings, at this point, has found a replica airsoft pistol and the investigation continues for possession of a stolen vehicle … nobody was injured. That’s the main thing.”
According to updated information provided by police Thursday, the airsoft gun was a replica of an Uzi submachine gun. Officers also found firearm ammunition, which he is prohibited from possessing, knives and an undisclosed quantity of suspected cocaine.
The suspect was expected to appear in provincial court in Nanaimo today, Nov. 8, to face charges of possession of stolen property, possession for the purpose of trafficking and firearm charges relating to the possession of the ammunition.
The investigation is continuing.
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