Stolen vehicle crash leads to standoff with police in Tecumseh
Essex County OPP are crediting their tactical team and their police dog Maximus for ending a standoff with an auto-theft suspect in Tecumseh on Monday night. The incident began around 6:15 p.m. when Ontario Provincial Police received a report of a single-vehicle collision at the intersection of Tecumseh Road and Shawnee Road.
Officers arrived to find a white four-door vehicle with front-end damage. Its occupant was not at the scene.
Police learned the vehicle had been reported stolen, and it had been involved in a hit-and-run crash with another car in Windsor earlier that same evening. Police also learned that the suspect driver had fled the scene in Tecumseh on foot and entered a stranger’s residence in the 1200 block of Shawnee Road.
The suspect was reportedly armed with a gun and also threatened to set himself on fire. There was a major response by OPP and Windsor police, including patrol officers from both services, OPP tactical officers (ERT), and an OPP police dog.
By 8:15 p.m., Maximus, the dog ’s handler and ERT members had located and arrested the suspect outside of the home he had entered. The suspect — an adult male — was taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The OPP are continuing to investigate and said charges are pending. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.