It looked like someone was filming of a scene for a heist movie.
What transpired in this Brampton neighbourhood was wild.
A robbery attempt, the boxing in of a vehicle, a police chase and the arrest of a suspect. And, of course, there was an opened safe left behind at a targeted home, displaying what police say is more than $100,000 in cash.
The only thing missing on Cottrelle Blvd., near Goreway Dr., on Tuesday was a director yelling, “Action!”
But this was no movie. This was a real-life home invasion in a real time – caught on a cellphone camera.
This wasn’t Pulp Fiction. Anything could have happened here. And a lot did.
Video of the mayhem shows a Peel Regional Police cruiser smashing into the back of a pickup truck.
One alleged home invader gets out and starts to run and was immediately chased by a cop who emerged from his cruiser with his handgun drawn.
“Hands up, hands up!” yells the officer. “Out of the car. Don’t f——- move.”
He ran away, with the officer in pursuit.
The driver in the truck that was rammed tried to make a three-point turn in an attempt to escape the area. After knocking over a disposal container, the pickup succeeded in getting away.
The police car pursued the escaping vehicle, but with his partner alone, the officer behind the wheel decided to stay on the scene.
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Within minutes, police had a suspect in handcuffs. Two other suspects fled the scene and an investigation is underway.
But the best part is while the alleged burglars were able to get a safe full of cash out of the house, they failed to put it in the pickup, thanks to the quick intervention of police.
It was quite a sight to see it open with many bills showing and some on the lawn. While social media reported the safe contained $1 million in cash, police sources say it was “in the six figures.”
The money was returned to a homeowner, who may not want to stash it at home going forward.
Police are investigating the whole thing from A-Z.
“There were no reports of physical injuries,” said police, adding “our 21 Division Criminal Investigations Bureau has taken carriage of the investigation.”
Calling it a “brazen crime,” Peel Deputy Chief Marc Andrews credited the officers for keeping a level head in what was a very difficult situation that could have turned out much worse.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also heaped praise on the Peel cops.
“This was a high-risk environment for the police with the criminals ramming their car,” said the mayor. “It shows the danger the police face every day. I am grateful for their unwavering dedication to public safety.”
This video does offer some real-life insight into what officers are faced with. While it’s sometimes easy to criticize them from the sidelines, this incident reveals how hard their job can be.
It may have looked like a movie set. But it wasn’t.
It was a regular Brampton street where a major crime was committed.