A woman was struck twice by a Toronto police vehicle while officers attempted to arrest her on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. at Jane Park Plaza, located near Jane Street and Alliance Avenue. Police were responding to reports of a woman wielding two large knives and damaging vehicles in the area.

According to police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer, the woman had allegedly slashed the tires of three police cruisers. Officers deployed a conducted energy weapon, commonly known as a Taser, in an effort to disarm her. "As officers moved to take the suspect into custody, another officer arrived on scene to assist. During this response, the officer’s vehicle inadvertently rolled forward into both the suspect and one of the arresting officers," Sayer explained.

Videos shared online show the woman walking through the parking lot, stabbing tires before being Tasered and falling to the ground. As three officers approached her on foot, a fourth officer exited their vehicle, which then rolled over both the woman and an officer. The driver of the vehicle then accelerated, running over the woman again, while the officer who had been under the bumper managed to escape. The driver subsequently reversed over the woman as the other officers stood nearby.

Once the woman was free from under the SUV, two officers appeared to handcuff her while the officer who had been trapped limped away. Throughout the incident, screams were audible as officers shouted at the woman to stop resisting arrest.

Brian Callanan, vice president of the Toronto Police Association, confirmed that the vehicle rolled over both the woman and the officers after the Taser was deployed. "Thankfully, our members were not seriously injured. The woman did not sustain any injuries from the police vehicle and was taken to hospital for the Taser deployment," he stated.

Paramedics assessed both the woman and the officer at the scene and found that neither had sustained serious injuries from the incident. The woman was transported to the hospital as a precaution due to the Taser use.

Sayer noted that police are reviewing the incident but did not notify the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) because the woman’s injuries did not meet the threshold for mandatory reporting. If her injuries had been serious enough to affect her health or comfort, the SIU would have been required to investigate.

Peter Korchinski, who witnessed the event, recorded several minutes of footage leading up to the collision. He expressed concern, recalling a past incident involving his daughter, who died after an interaction with police five years ago. "When she got Tased, and the knives fell, at that point she was so vulnerable. She was just a scared person who needed some help," Korchinski said.

Lawyer David Shellnutt criticized the handling of the arrest, calling it a "botched arrest." He emphasized the need for mental health professionals to accompany police during such incidents to prevent injuries or fatalities. "This was completely preventable if some cooler thinking had prevailed," Shellnutt remarked.

He acknowledged that while the Taser was a reasonable use of force, it was dangerous to leave the vehicle in gear during the arrest. "Twice ramming it over the person on the ground instead of reversing it demonstrates gross negligence," he added.

It remains unclear if the officer driving the vehicle will face any disciplinary action. Sayer indicated that any internal matters would remain confidential unless they lead to a public tribunal.

The 23-year-old woman involved in the incident has been charged with dangerous weapons and four counts of mischief under $5,000. She appeared in court on Sunday morning.