A 41-year-old man with more than 50 criminal convictions has been charged after stealing a police car in East Vancouver Sunday morning.
Police officers were flagged down near East Hastings and Semlin Drive to help a woman in distress around 10:45am. When the officers got out of the vehicle to help the woman, the suspect got inside the cruiser and drove it onto the field at Templeton Park.
Investigators say the suspect put “dozens of bystanders in harm’s way,” as there were young families gathered at a playground and kids were playing soccer nearby.
“This reckless and criminal behaviour could have killed or seriously injured innocent people. We are grateful to the VPD officers and the police service dog that responded immediately to stop this imminent public safety threat,” said Sgt. Steve Addison in a release.
“It is hard to overstate how dangerous this behaviour was,” added Sgt. Addison.
One man went to hospital and was treated for minor injuries after nearly being struck head-on.
“We hope this person recovers quickly, and we’re thankful nobody else was seriously injured.”
#VPDNews: The suspect in the theft of a police vehicle yesterday has now been charged. Dustin Walter Tallio is charged with theft motor vehicle, dangerous driving causing bodily harm, fail to remain at the scene of an accident, and fail to stop for police. https://t.co/w5pYrh4NOT pic.twitter.com/VCTxecuYN1
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) October 7, 2024
On Monday, 41-year-old Dustin Walter Tallio was charged with the following offences:
- Theft of Motor Vehicle, contrary to Section 333.1 (1)(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada
- Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Harm, contrary to Section 320.13(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada
- Fail to Remain at the Scene of an Accident, contrary to Section 320.16(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada
- Fail to Stop for Police, contrary to Section 320.17 of the Criminal Code of Canada
The suspect sustained injuries “while being apprehended by the police dog”. He was taken to hospital and received treatment.
More local news:
- Surrey man charged with assaulting taxi driver, damaging vehicle
- Woman violently assaulted near Vancouver SkyTrain station
- Driver with “F*ck The Police” license plate frame pulled over for speeding in Vancouver