A long list of criminal charges has been laid less than a week after a home invasion near Bayfield and a multi-county police chase.
OPP began pursuing a man in a minivan in relation to a threat investigation in Essex County last Wednesday morning. The minivan headed from Lambton County into Huron County on Bluewater Highway. Police flooded the Bayfield area, where they found the minivan abandoned just south of the community. That's where police allege the suspect forced his way into a home and demanded car keys from the person inside.
The suspect reportedly drove the stolen vehicle toward Bayfield and continued east to Clinton, Seaforth, and Dublin. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle using tire deflation devices but were unsuccessful.
An OPP helicopter spotted the vehicle heading back into Huron County where an officer was able to safely stop it on Base Line south of Auburn. Pictures from the scene shared on social media showed damage to the driver's side of the vehicle, indicating it may have made contact with the police cruiser. The driver initially tried to run from the vehicle but was quickly arrested and taken to the hospital as a precaution.
On Monday, police announced 34 charges against a 34-year-old man from Leamington. The charges include robbery with a firearm, uttering threats, assault with a weapon, dangerous driving, breaking into a dwelling to commit an indictable offence, and impersonating a police officer.
