Several police officers narrowly escaped being hit by a stolen vehicle in an Indigenous community southwest of London.
The incident happened as officers with the OPP and Oneida and Chippewa Police Service were assisting London police with an investigation involving a stolen vehicle on Tuesday. Officers had located the vehicle at a home on River Road on the Oneida of the Thames First Nation and were investigating when a second vehicle crashed through a police barricade around 11 p.m.
The vehicle slammed into an unoccupied OPP cruiser and nearly hit several officers before taking off from the area, police said.
No officers were hurt, but the cruiser was significantly damaged and had to be towed from the scene.
The suspect vehicle was later found abandoned. It had previously been reported stolen.
The Oneida band council has reassured the community over social media that there is no concern for public safety. However, residents have been advised to lock their vehicles and report any suspicious activity to police.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call police at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
