FREDERIC SERRE
The 1510 West

A quiet afternoon on Portway Avenue in Pointe Claire’s north end was shattered last Sunday when the driver of a stolen SUV deliberately drove into a police cruiser near the intersection of Hermitage Avenue, resulting in a dramatic foot chase that quickly ended when a K9 unit arrived on the scene and nabbed the 18-year-old male suspect.

According to Montreal police spokesperson Caroline Chèvrefils, officers at the scene credited police dog Phoenix with apprehending the suspect.

According to Chèvrefils, officers were responding to a call of a suspicious looking man at the wheel of a vehicle suspected of having been stolen. As the officers got out of their patrol car, on Portway Avenue, the suspect accelerated in an attempt to injure the constables. The SUV collided head on with the cruiser, at which time the suspect fled on foot.

Within minutes, a K9 unit arrived on the scene and Phoenix the dog was released. He quickly located the suspect, who was hiding near a residence. Police said the man surrendered when Phoenix pounced on him.

The suspect was scheduled to appear in court Monday to face a litany of charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle and attempt to injure a police officer, Chèvrefils said.