Police say both an officer and a police horse struck by a vehicle on Friday in a dramatic police chase downtown are doing fine.
"The officer is at home recovering and the horse has been treated and is back at the stable recovering," Const. Laurie McCann of Toronto Police media relations told TorontoToday on Sunday.
Meanwhile, police have released the names of a man and a woman charged in the incident that took place in the Queen Street West and Beverley Street area around 3 p.m.
Police were alerted by automatic license plate readers about a stolen pickup truck. A police mounted unit attempted to stop the vehicle.
That's when the vehicle struck a police horse and rammed several scout cars while trying to escape.
The truck mounted the sidewalk and struck the front window of a business.
One suspect was arrested at the scene and a second was nabbed a short distance away, police said in a release.
An officer was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The police horse was transported to an emergency animal hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Cedar Nicholas, 30, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with theft of a vehicle and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Jonathan Chabot Desrosiers, 33, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, two counts of mischief/damage to property over $5,000, four counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, and dangerous operation of a vehicle.
Chabot Desrosiers is also charged in connection with injuring the horse and causing a common nuisance/endangering the lives or safety of the public.
Both accused were scheduled to appear in court at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Finch Avenue West on Saturday.
Chabot Desrosiers and Nicholas were both out on bail at the time of the incident, police noted.
None of the charges have been tested in court and Nicholas and Chabot Desrosiers are considered innocent unless proven guilty.
We appreciate everyone’s support and concern over yesterday’s stolen vehicle arrest. Our Mounted Officer and his horse are fine. Just another reminder of the dangers our members- human and horse -face daily in an effort to contribute to city safety. #toronto #policehorse #PHYork pic.twitter.com/SONPk6ecxt
— Toronto Police Mounted Unit (@TPSMounted) November 2, 2024
