Two arrested after Stratford police officer dragged by stolen pickup
Two people are facing charges after a police officer was allegedly assaulted in Stratford.
On Tuesday, the officer was at the Canadian Tire Gas Bar on Ontario Street at 10:30 p.m. while conducting a stolen vehicle investigation. While there, they spotted a black Dodge Ram pickup truck that police said was confirmed stolen from Parkhill. The pickup was not connected to the officer’s investigation.
Two people, a man and a woman, were seen with the vehicle.
The officer approached the man, identified as 27-year-old Joseph Cluett of Mitchell, as he was exiting the store. Police said Cluett “immediately pushed the officer to the ground and ran to the truck where he got into the passenger seat.”
The woman, 30-year-old Kayla Field, was in the driver’s seat.
Police said the officer followed Cluett to the truck and “attempted to pull him out while telling Cluett he was under arrest.”
A video, shared by Stratford police, shows the officer pulling the passenger door open. Cluett and the officer then engage in a physical altercation before Field began to drive away. Police said the officer was “unable to pull away” and was dragged alongside the truck for a short distance. They added that the officer was “nearly run over.”
Police said the officer was transported to the hospital, but has since been released and “will be off work for an undetermined amount of time and is now resting at home with family.”
On Wednesday, Cluett and Field were arrested.
Police said the two were seen in the same stolen truck shortly after 4 p.m. While stopped at a train crossing in the community of Dublin, police attempted to box the truck in. Police said Cluett drove “directly toward an officer” who was able to jump away. However the pickup struck two police vehicles before driving off the road.
Officers attempted to block the truck once again, and Cluett crashed the pickup into another police vehicle before getting out the vehicle and running away.
Police said Cluett was taken into custody but continued to resist arrest and attempt to flee.
They added that Cluett appeared to be impaired by an unspecified drug.
Field, meanwhile, was arrested without incident.
Cluett and Field have both been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000 and possession of stolen property under $5,000.
Field has also been charged with dangerous driving.
Other charges against Cluett include: driving while disqualified, dangerous driving, assault with a weapon, resisting arrest, breach of probation and driving while impaired.
Both are set to make a court appearance on Jan. 31.
Police said they decided to release the video to “emphasize the danger of this situation.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.