(LONDON, ON) - On August 7, 2018 at approximately 10:00 p.m., a member of the Middlesex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) observed an erratic driver in the area of Exeter Road and Wellington Road, City of London.
The officer initiated a traffic stop and the suspect vehicle failed to stop for police.
The suspect vehicle was later observed on Exeter Road, where officers again attempted to stop the vehicle by using a rolling block method. The suspect vehicle struck a police vehicle and again fled police. No officers were injured during the minor collision.
The suspect vehicle was later located and members of the London Police Service (LPS) Canine Unit (K9) and Middlesex OPP commenced a search of the area.
The investigation revealed that the suspects involved in the fail to stop event had briefly entered a nearby hotel. The male suspect was arrested on foot at a nearby shopping plaza. Upon further investigation, a loaded, semi-automatic handgun was seized from a suite at the hotel.
Lucas CARDY, 24-year-old male, of Brampton, Ontario was arrested and stands charged with the following offences, pursuant to the Criminal Code of Canada (CC):
CC 129(a) Obstruct Peace Officer
CC 249.1(1) Flight while Pursued by Peace Officer
CC 249(1)(a) Dangerous Operation of Motor Vehicle
In addition, two (2) adult females and two (2) young females, as defined by the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), all from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), stand charged with firearm related offences. The names of the charged females are being withheld to protect the identity of the young persons.
The accused are all known to each other.
The accused were held in custody and appeared in a London Court room on August 8, 2018.
Members of the Middlesex County OPP Crimes Unit continue to investigate this event.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or their nearest police authority.
Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or submit a tip online at www.londoncrimestoppers.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2000.