Violent Gun Crime Ends In Safe Arrest

On August 19, it was reported that two men allegedly approached the owner of a car, manhandled him, pistol-whipped him and then stole his car near Islington Avenue and Finch Avenue West.



“The victim received 13 staples to the head, hand injuries and swelling and bruising near the eye,” said Detective Constable Pooya Ebrahimi, in charge of the case. 

A few minutes after the robbery, the car’s description and licence plate were broadcast.

Constables Rob Cowie and Lisa Penny heard it on the radio and quickly identified the stolen car going eastbound on Finch. They took a quick U-turn and began to strategically follow the car, without alerting the suspects that police were within eyeshot.

Once they followed the vehicle southbound on Highway 400, the suspect vehicle began accelerating quickly, said Ebrahimi.

The two 31 Division officers kept an eye on the vehicle from a safe distance and soon, due to traffic, the suspects had to slow down their car.

 Keeping public safety in mind, the two constables kept following the stolen vehicle in an unmarked police vehicle as it exited onto Black Creek Drive. 



As Cowie followed the vehicle a few car-lengths behind, Penny stayed in touch over the radio to let approaching patrol cars know their every move. 

As the car approached Trethewey Drive, traffic slowed down and officers were able to box in the stolen vehicle from all sides, while officers from 12 Division came running in to control traffic. Two people were arrested and a handgun recovered.

"It was one of the smoothest, seamless and quickest arrests we’ve had,” said Ebrahimi.

“The two constables observing this coordinated the takedown seamlessly,” he said, adding it was ‘absolutely phenomenal.”



For Cowie and Penny it was a “good day” to be able to get a handgun off the street.