Three suspects were arrested and two Nanaimo RCMP officers were injured after police chased a stolen vehicle.
The incident unfolded Friday at about 4 p.m. when police spotted a stolen 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe.
When officers tried to stop the car, its driver refused. Police chased the SUV into a dead-end road in Bowen Park. Officers forced it to a stop when it collided with one marked police cruiser and a second unmarked police car.
“As the officers from the unmarked police vehicle exited the car, the impact from the Hyundai hitting the marked police car caused one of the officer’s legs to get pinned between the cars,” RCMP said in a press release.
A uniformed officer immediately exited his vehicle, ordering the suspects exit the Hyundai. After the driver ignored the order and attempted to re-start vehicle, which had stalled, the officer drew his firearm out of fear for the safety of the officer pinned between the cars and continued to order the suspects to exit the SUV.
The suspects eventually complied and were arrested as more and more officers arrived on scene.
Three suspects, all from Nanaimo, were arrested – two males, 27 and 30, and a female, 21.
A section of Bowen Park where the collision occurred was kept behind police tape while investigators searched the stolen vehicle and a collision analyst was brought in to investigate the crash site.
Two RCMP officers were examined at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for minor injuries and were released.
A passenger of the Hyundai sustained minor injuries and was treated and released as well.
The suspects were remanded into custody and are set to appear in Nanaimo Provincial Court on Monday (Jan. 6).
