Police are looking for a 23 -year -old Toronto man that investigators believe he tried to run over someone with a vehicle at the Metropolitan University of Toronto (TMU) and ended up hitting four people during a shocking incident on Tuesday afternoon.
Police identified the suspect as Ryan Petrff and urged him to surrender.
Toronto Police Insp. Errol Watson said the police believe that Petrff attacked a specific individual, but did not comment on the relationship between the two.
Police have also published an image of Petrff. Anyone who sees him must alert the police and not approach him, since he considers him dangerous, Watson said.
“Mr. Petrff, if you are seeing this, get legal advice and give to the police,” he said.
Petrff faces a series of charges that include, among others, the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle that causes bodily damage and assault with a weapon.
Watson said he would not comment on the possible motivation at this time. Nor would I comment if Petroff is known by the Police.
“I understand that there is a significant interest in the circumstances that led to this violent incident. What I can confirm is that people in the scene could identify Mr. Petroff as a suspect,” said Watson.
The collision occurred in Nelson Mandela Walk, a pedestrian catwalk south of Gerrard Street that is between the campus library and an academic building. It happened just before 2 pm
In a press release on Wednesday, the police said that the vehicle used by Petroff was a four -door green honda with stolen plates. The registration number is dedz 565.
“It is believed that the vehicle suffered damage to the windshield as a result of the collision,” police said in the statement.
Two people were taken to the hospital, although the four that were beaten are expected to survive. None were students or TMU staff, although the incident left many in the shaking campus.
The third year student of TMU Isaac Meng told journalists that he was studying in the library next to the catwalk around 1:50 pm, when he heard a strong and accelerated sound.
He said that one of his friends began to call him out loud: “A car crashed [into] people! A car accelerated [into] people!”
Meng said he hastened the window, but the car was already gone. He says he saw a man lying in the grass, apparently unconscious, while people tried to call him. At that moment, he and his friend called the police, he said.
“It was crazy,” Meng said, saying it was like a scene outside a movie.
TMU taking measures to block vehicles from the catwalk
TMU said Wednesday that he is working with the city of Toronto to add security measures to Nelson Mandela Walk, while keeping the catwalk open to emergency vehicles.
“As an immediate measure to guarantee the safety of pedestrians and public, the planters have placed Nelson Mandela Walk in the main entrances,” he said in a statement.
Mayor Olivia Chow and several TMU officials discussed the incident while attending a gala event held by the University on Tuesday night.
TMU issued an online security alert at that time.
“Our thoughts are with those who have been injured and impacted by this incident,” TMU said in a statement.
