Numerous thefts from LCBO locations on Friday ended in a pursuit that saw one Barrie police cruiser damaged that evening.
City police got a call around 7 p.m. Aug. 18 from staff at the Mary Street LCBO in downtown Barrie after a group of men stole close to $1,000 worth of alcohol before fleeing in a Ford transit van, said Peter Leon, the department’s communications co-ordinator.
Between 5 and 7 p.m., police say, the four men had also previously been seen stealing booze from the LCBO locations on Caplan Avenue and Bayfield Street.
Three men were seen entering each of the locations while the fourth waited in the van, Leon added.
“One of our officers observed the vehicle travelling (west) on Dunlop Street and then it continued southbound on Highway 400," he told BarrieToday. "They attempted a manoeuvre to try to bring the vehicle to a stop, at which point the (van) struck the Barrie police vehicle, which caused it to lose control and spin out.
"It was at that time the suspect apprehension pursuit was discontinued," Leon said.
At least three Barrie police vehicles would have been involved in the attempt to stop the vehicle on the highway, he noted.
The officer in the damaged cruiser was able to make it to the shoulder of the highway safely, said Leon, adding the airbag did deploy, but the officer did not sustain any injuries as a result of the collision.
The suspect vehicle then continued south on Highway 400.
“In the interest of safety, given the fact they’d just contacted and struck a police vehicle, we were no longer following them," Leon said. "We did determine that the vehicle licence plate was stolen earlier that day.
"We are working closely with LCBO loss prevention to gather some information on the individuals," he added.
The investigation continues.
