VicPD officer injured after impaired driver flees traffic stop, crashes into home

Victoria police are investigating after an alleged impaired driver injured an officer and crashed into a home in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The incident began around 3 a.m. when police reportedly spotted a van turning onto Pandora Avenue from Blanshard Street.

Police say an officer in the area saw the van turn the wrong direction onto the one-way street, prompting them to turn on their sirens and pull the vehicle over.

"Dispatch informed the officer that the registered owner of the vehicle had a previous homicide conviction and had recently told officers of his desire for a fatal encounter with police," said VicPD in a release Wednesday.

More officers were called in before two members approached the stopped vehicle. The officers allegedly noticed "clear signs" of intoxication coming from the driver, who quickly started the van in an attempt to flee the area.

Police say one officer had their leg stuck in the van and was dragged for several metres before they were able to free themselves.

Soon after, the driver turned onto Cormorant Street and attempted to turn into a driveway, where they crashed into a parked vehicle and home.

Police say no one inside the home was injured in the crash.

After the crash, a nearby VicPD member used their vehicle to block the van in the driveway.

DRAMATIC ARREST

A witness of the arrest tells CTV News she saw about "15 officers" surround the vehicle, and yell for the driver to exit the van with his hands up.

"The man came out but I suppose was not listening to commands from the (officers) so he was 'tazed' four times before he went to the ground," said witness Hailey Claiire.

In their release Wednesday, police say the man refused to follow officers' directions so police used less-lethal beanbag rounds and a conductive energy weapon to subdue him.

"These were initially ineffective, and officers deployed the less-lethal beanbag rounds and conductive energy weapon again until the conductive energy weapon was effective," said VicPD.

The man eventually fell to the ground and police took him into custody.

An ambulance was called for the driver and the VicPD officer who had their leg stuck in the van. Police say both individuals were taken to hospital for evaluation.

The officer was treated for a non-life-threatening leg injury and will not be returning to duty until they recover, police say.

Meanwhile, the driver was medically cleared and returned to police custody. Once back in police cells, the man completed a breathalyser test which he failed, according to VicPD.

His vehicle was impounded, he was served a temporary driving ban and was later released on conditions until his next court date.

Police are also investigating the crash scene, which caused "extensive" damage to the home and parked vehicle.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Victoria police at 250-995-7654 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.