One man is in police custody after an Ontario Provincial Police officer was struck and dragged during a “routine” traffic stop in Mississauga on Monday.
The incident took place at around 9 a.m. in the area of Highway 403 and Hurontario Street.
At around 1 p.m. police located the suspect vehicle in a parking lot of an apartment complex on Trailwood Drive near Hurontario Street but the vehicle was unoccupied at the time.
Later in the day at around 7 p.m., officers said they arrested one person in connection with the investigation. However, police said no charges had been laid at the time.
Peel Regional Police Const. Bally Saini told reporters at the scene that the officer was conducting a traffic stop when a suspect who was pulled over sped off, dragging the officer for a distance.
Following the collision, the officer was rushed to hospital with injuries described at the time as "critical."
“It was very serious at first,” Saini said of the officer’s condition. “It has been downgraded to non-life-threatening now.”
Later in a social media post, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the injuries are minor and the officer, identified as Cons. Patrick Chatelain, had returned home where he is expected to make a full recovery.
Saini said investigators believe there were three other occupants inside the vehicle at the time but detailed descriptions were not provided.
Members of the collision reconstruction unit and forensic identification unit were on scene conducting an investigation.
The westbound Highway 403 off-ramp to Hurontario Street was closed as well as the eastbound Highway 403 on-ramp to southbound Hurontario Street but the area has since reopened.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Peel Regional Police.
