A 12-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly struck a Toronto police officer while driving a stolen car in the city’s east end Sunday night, police say.
Two other boys, aged 12 and 14, were also charged in the incident, Toronto police said in a news release Wednesday.
Police allege in the release that officers tried to stop a stolen car in East York near Donlands Avenue and O’Connor Drive after they were alerted to a vehicle theft at about 11:40 p.m.
The driver of the stolen car struck an officer and then an officer fired his gun, police allege.
The driver then fled the scene and the officer was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Police said the driver was then arrested a short distance away and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
12-year-old boy driving stolen car charged, in hospital after striking officer in Toronto: SIU
In addition to attempted murder, the 12-year-old has been charged with motor vehicle theft, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, assaulting a peace officer and leaving an accident scene.
The boy was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
The second 12-year-old boy has been charged with motor vehicle theft, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, dangerous operation of a conveyance, while the 14-year-old boy has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Both are scheduled to appear in court on July 15.
None of the boys’ names have been released as they are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Kirsty Denette, spokesperson for Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), said Wednesday that the boy has had surgery and has been released from hospital into custody at a youth centre.
The SIU, which probes the conduct of officers in incidents that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person, has taken over the investigation.
At a news conference Monday, Denette said two police cruisers, each with two officers inside, attempted to stop the car on a bridge. While they did so, there was “contact” between the car and one or both of the cruisers.
At some point, the same officer exited the cruiser and was struck by the car, she said.
Denette also said one officer fired multiple shots at the car, but added the SIU didn’t know the sequence of events.
Two other youths were in the car at the time, according to Denette.
In a news release Monday, the SIU said the car was abandoned at Floyd Street and Donlands Avenue, before the driver was arrested a short distance away.
The SIU release also said police were alerted to the car theft at 1:30 a.m., not 11:40 p.m., as police said in its release.
