A man allegedly stole a police van and crashed it into a tree in Listowel Monday morning, prompting a massive police presence in the town.
Over the course of the morning, a police tactical team and canine unit descended on the town while an OPP helicopter flew over the city.
According to Perth County OPP, the Wingham Police van crashed on Barber Street North around 6 a.m.
It had allegedly been stolen a few minutes earlier by a man who had been pulled over by police about 25 kilometres away, near the community of Bluevale, in a suspected stolen pickup truck.
An officer was assaulted as the man stole the vehicle, police said.
After the van crashed, the man – described as being thin and in his early 30s, with a black and red shirt and short, dark hair – allegedly took off on foot. He was last seen heading eastbound on Binning Street East.
Anyone who sees the man on their property or has any other information that could help police is asked to contact the Perth County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
The subsequent police search led to multiple schools in Listowel being placed under a hold and secure. According to Huron Perth Student Transportation Services, all classes were cancelled at North Perth Westfield Elementary School. Other schools were open to students who could arrive at the building safely.
A hold and secure is a security procedure under which nobody is allowed into or out of the building, but people inside are able to move around freely.
The hold and secures were all lifted around 1:30 p.m.
