Montreal police officer struck by vehicle in suspected car theft pursuit

A Montreal police badge is shown during a news conference by Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino in Montreal, Thursday, August 4, 2022, where he announced federal support for organizations on the front lines of the fight against gun and gang violence in Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Four teenagers have been arrested after a Montreal police officer was struck by a vehicle while responding to a call for suspected car theft.

Police are calling it an armed assault -- the incident occurred Saturday afternoon near the Galeries d'Anjou, a shopping mall near where Highway 40 meets the 25. 

A police spokesperson said officers went to the parking lot after a 911 caller suspected people were trying to steal cars. 

Police say they intercepted a vehicle nearby on Saint-Zotique St.

The driver tried to flee, and turned the car towards an officer, according to police. The officer then fired toward the car, which hit them as it drove past. 

The officer was rushed to hospital but has since been released. 

Police say they recovered the vehicle nearby, at the intersection of Langelier Blvd. and Belanger St., a few blocks west of the mall. There was a bullet hole in the hood of the car, but no one was inside. 

About 600 metres south of there, near Beaubien St., police arrested four suspects. Three of them were young men aged 18, and the fourth was a 17-year-old boy.