3 arrested after break-ins, canine-unit chase in Vancouver
Suspect allegedly tried to carjack taxi full of people as he was trying to escape
Three people have been arrested following a series of break-ins in Vancouver on Tuesday.
Officers found the trio in a parking lot at Granville Street and Southwest Marine Drive around 5:30 p.m. PT.
They're accused of breaking into a house on West 37th Avenue near Granville Street less than an hour before.
A witness had phoned police with a description of the vehicle — including its licence plate number — and a description of the suspects.
Two of the men surrendered and were arrested without issue, but a third tried to run from police and a police dog was released.
A statement said he allegedly tried to carjack a taxi full of people and, when that didn't work, ran to a gas station where he tried to force another man out of his car.
He was arrested by the canine unit and taken to hospital for treatment.
Const. Jason Doucette said the three men are suspects in two other, similar break-ins that happened earlier Tuesday. The officer said one of those was in Maple Ridge.
Bystander bitten
A 75-year-old man was injured in the chase when he was mistakenly bitten in the leg by a second police dog.
Police said the man had just got out of his truck in the same parking lot when the dog was released to chase the suspect.
Doucette said he was bitten after "unfortunately" ending up between the canine and its target.
The officer said the department will review the takedown and the bite to get a better idea of how the bystander was caught in the middle.
"Our goal here is to arrest the bad guys and to ensure public safety and in this situation, something didn't go as planned and we're going to try to identify what happened here and how we can prevent it in the future," Doucette said.
The 75-year-old was treated in hospital and later released.