A Leamington man is facing nearly three dozen weapons and driving-related charges in connection to a threat investigation that stretched across several areas of the province.
A 34-year-old man is facing a total of 34 charges, including two counts of robbery using a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, assault with a weapon, flight from a peace officer, and breaking and entering of a house to commit an indictable offence.
On March 18, OPP officers from Essex, Lambton, Huron and Perth counties were involved in the case after OPP in Leamington were notified about a threat investigation.
Police determined a man was driving a minivan on Bluewater Highway, and officers converged in the Bayfield area, where the suspect vehicle was found abandoned.
Investigators learned that the suspect had allegedly forcibly entered a nearby home and demanded car keys from the homeowner before fleeing toward Bayfield in the stolen sedan and continued east to Clinton, Seaforth, and Dublin, where multiple officers attempted to stop the vehicle without success.
The suspect was tracked by OPP helicopter along with officers on the ground as the vehicle entered back into Huron County.
Huron OPP officers located the suspect in the municipality of Central Huron, where they were able to safely stop the vehicle.
The lone suspect fled the vehicle but was quickly apprehended by police.
As a precaution, the suspect was taken to a local hospital for medical assessment.
The officers involved were not injured, but damage was sustained to one OPP police vehicle and the stolen vehicle.