5 charged after vehicle collides with police cruiser in ‘high-risk arrest’

A broad daylight police operation saw five people arrested and several charges laid in Ottawa’s west end on Tuesday.

Officials said in a press release that they conducted a traffic stop around 1:00 p.m. near Richmond Road and Patricia Avenue near the Westboro community. Police said that officers initially stopped the vehicle for Highway Traffic Act offences.

When stopped, the vehicle attempted to flee by colliding with a police cruiser. Officers were able to prevent the vehicle from leaving and due to the threat to the public, conducted a “high-risk arrest.”

“The actions taken by our officers prevented a potentially dangerous situation from escalating further,” Inspector Ian Hayes, said of the situation. “Drug trafficking and reckless attempts to evade police put lives at risk, and we will continue to take decisive action to protect our communities.”

During the investigation, the occupants and the vehicle were searched. The driver was wanted by the Canada Border Services Agency on a nationwide immigration warrant, and a passenger was wanted by the Ontario Provincial Police.

Ottawa police said a quantity of drugs were seized during the search of the vehicle. The five men, in their 20s, were arrested and charged with:

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking 
• Possession of property obtained by crime 
• Flight from police 
• Dangerous operation