Essex County OPP has arrested one individual following several incidents that spanned Essex, Lambton, Huron, and Perth counties on March 18, 2026.

OPP officers from all four counties were engaged, along with OPP Aviation Services, West Region OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT), and West Region OPP K-9.

On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Leamington OPP were notified of a threat investigation involving a male suspect. It was determined that the male was driving a minivan towards Huron County on Bluewater Highway.

Huron OPP officers converged to the Bayfield area where the suspect vehicle was located, abandoned just south of Bayfield.

Further investigation revealed that the suspect had forcibly entered a residence nearby and demanded car keys from the homeowner. The suspect then fled towards Bayfield in the stolen sedan, continued east to Clinton, Seaforth, and Dublin, where multiple officers attempted to stop the vehicle utilizing Tire Deflation Devices (TDD), without success.

The suspect was monitored by OPP helicopter and ground officers as the vehicle entered back into Huron County.

Huron OPP officers located the suspect vehicle travelling southbound on Base Line in the Municipality of Central Huron where they were able to safely stop the vehicle. The lone suspect fled the vehicle, but was quickly apprehended by police.

As a precaution, the suspect was taken to a local hospital for medical assessment. The officers involved were not injured.

Damage was sustained to one OPP police vehicle and the stolen vehicle.

The investigation is currently ongoing.