Suspect in wild Toronto cop car crash has 75 criminal convictions: 'Beyond frustrated'

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The man accused of ramming numerous Toronto Police cruisers near Moss Park on Thursday night has dozens of criminal convictions and was out on bail for auto theft at the time of his arrest.

Police say the suspect, behind the wheel of stolen white Hummer, slammed into police vehicles on George St. between Queen St. E. and Richmond St. E. just before 10:15 p.m.

George Sault, 32, of Toronto, has 75 criminal convictions against him.

He was out on bail facing trial for auto theft and flight from police charges stemming from a previous incident.

Police first became alerted to the car after it was picked up by a cruiser’s licence plate reader.

The accused was spotted sitting inside the stolen Hummer parked on George St. just north of Richmond St. E.

Officers approached on foot and challenged the accused at gunpoint, while others surrounded the stolen SUV with their cruisers.

That’s when the Hummer began ramming the cop cars in an attempt to escape, narrowly avoiding police officers attempting to make the arrest.

Successfully pinning the vehicle against a building, the suspect was taken into custody before being transported to hospital as a precaution.

Nobody was injured.

Surveillance video obtained by CP24 shows the white Hummer attempting to flee but the icy sidewalk and efforts by three police SUVs finally boxed it in.

Sault faces a slew of charges, including auto theft, failure to stop for police, dangerous operation, assault peace officer, driving while prohibited and failing to comply with a release order.

He appeared in court Friday morning.

Toronto Police Association (TPA) president Clayton Campbell said police are beyond frustrated at Ontario’s broken bail system that routinely allows violent, repeat criminals to return to the community.

“We are beyond frustrated,” Campbell told the Toronto Sun.

“Although it’s kinda fallen on deaf ears for the past number of years, I keep talking about it every chance I get.”

He said the system needs to focus on violent, repeat offenders who are frequent visitors to the revolving doors of Canadian justice.

“They need to be kept in custody,” he said. “We’re doing our part, and the federal government needs to do their part.”

The TPA is pushing all levels of government for much-needed changes to Canada’s broken bail system.

“We lobby to the federal level for the entire seven years I’ve been here,” Campbell said.

“We don’t, at the association, take the position that everybody needs to be in custody, we believe in restorative justice. We believe in second and third chances — but this is 75 chances for this person, so that’s enough.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
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