Peel police find empty getaway car believed used by man in alleged kidnapping of woman

• UPDATE | The woman in this story was found safe. CBC News has removed the identity of the woman in this story as well her image.

Peel Regional Police say they have found an empty car that they believe was used by a man in an alleged kidnapping of a woman in Brampton early Sunday.

Supt. Sean Gormley, spokesperson for 22 Division of Peel police, said the vehicle, a Black Honda Civic with the Ontario license plate BZHE247, was found in Brampton a short distance from the home where the woman was allegedly kidnapped.

The car, which was unoccupied, will be examined for evidence. A member of the public found the vehicle.

Police have identified the suspect as Kwami Garwood, 21, and the victim as a 23-year-old woman. Neither of them has been located. Police said they believe Garwood is armed and dangerous. 

Gormely said the suspect and victim know each other and are involved in a relationship.

"We do allege that the female party has been kidnapped by the male," Gormley told reporters near the crime scene.

Garwood is wanted on four outstanding warrants, including one for a first degree murder charge in Toronto, he said. Police are concerned about the woman's safety, he added.

"We have great concern for the safety and well-being of the female party," he said.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), meanwhile, is investigating the incident because two Peel police officers opened fire on the suspect.

According to the SIU, police were called to a home on Adventura Road, near Mayfield Road and Mississauga Road, shortly before 3 a.m. after reports of a woman screaming. Neighbours reportedly heard a disturbance.

The SIU said officers who arrived on the scene forced their way into the home and followed the sounds of the screams, which led them to the garage. 

There, officers found a man in the driver's seat of a vehicle and a woman in the back seat, the SIU said. 

"There was an interaction, and two officers discharged their firearms in the direction of the vehicle," the SIU said in a news release on Sunday.

While still in the vehicle, the man managed to flee from the garage with the woman still inside, the SIU said.

Police said the woman was in the car unwillingly. The pair was last seen driving in the black Honda Civic, police said.

Police continue to search for the victim and suspect.

Her family is said to be very concerned about her, Gormley said.

Const. Heather Cannon, spokesperson for Peel police, told reporters early Sunday that a man believed to be the suspect was reportedly outside the home screaming and banging on the door before police arrived. 

Cannon said the officers were not physically hurt.

"At this time we are not aware of any injuries to either the suspect or victim," Cannon said.

"At this point, we believe she is in that vehicle unwillingly," he added. "We are concerned for her safety and well-being."

If the couple is seen, police advise members of the public to call 911. 

Garwood wanted in connection with shooting in northeast Toronto

According to a Aug. 21, 2020 Facebook post by Toronto police's homicide unit, Garwood is wanted for the death of Andre Charles, 43, of Toronto.

Around 1:40 p.m. on July 4, officers responded to a shooting in the area of Chester Le Boulevard and Morecambe Gate in northeast Toronto. They found Charles in a parking lot with gunshot wounds.

A man, 21, and a boy, 16, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in his death.

A first degree murder warrant for Garwood's arrest was issued in July 2020 in connection with the shooting and he has been on the run since.

SIU says not known if police gunfire injured suspect

At this time, it is not known whether the man was struck by gunfire or injured, but the SIU was asked to investigate because police officers shot at a person. 

The SIU has assigned two investigators and two forensic investigators to the case.

Two officers are the subject of the SIU investigation. There are three officers and one service employee who are witnesses.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is an arm's length agency that investigates incidents involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.

Anyone with any information including dashboard camera or video surveillance is asked to call investigators at (905) 453–2121, ext. 2233.