Jason Teakle
BRANT NEWS

City police say a Brantford Police Service officer shot at a vehicle fleeing from a West Street parking lot shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident began when members of the Brantford police street crimes unit and patrol officers in marked police vehicles approached a suspect vehicle in the parking lot, located at 325 West St.

Police said in a media release that an interaction took place between officers and a male driver of the suspect vehicle. An officer discharged his firearm at the vehicle as it drove toward him while fleeing the scene, police said.

When the man attempted to flee the parking lot, a female passenger in the suspect vehicle suffered injuries not related to the officer discharging his firearm. City police say the provincial Special Investigations Unit is probing the circumstances of the female’s injuries.

Bystanders in the parking lot reported hearing two gunshots.

Amy Hammel, who works at Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers, said she heard someone yell “get down on the ground, put your hands up.” Hammel said she witnessed police with guns drawn and pointed toward a car in the parking lot.

After fleeing the parking lot, the man drove the suspect vehicle to a nearby business and fled on foot into a wooded area, police said. After a brief foot pursuit, the man was taken into custody at a parking lot at Charing Cross and West streets.

A Charing Cross Street resident who wished to remain anonymous said she witnessed police take down and arrest the man.

“I saw 10 police officers with handguns and (long) guns drawn at this guy laying facedown on the street,” the woman said. “Officers jumped on top of him. It was all really uncomfortable and surreal. This is something you watch on TV.”

Police also said they executed a search warrant at the male driver and female passenger’s residence on Charing Cross StreetPolice say Richard Arthur Bomberry, 25, of Charing Cross Street, faces charges of  trafficking in a controlled drug (cocaine), possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine), possession of a controlled drug (marijuana), possession of property obtained by crime, two counts of breaching a probation order, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, fail to remain at the scene of an accident and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

Hillary Robertson, 22, faces charges of trafficking in a controlled drug (cocaine), possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine) possession of a controlled drug (marijuana) and disobeying a court order..