#4 District
2700 Rutherford Road, Vaughan
Command Team:
Superintendent Tony Cusimano
Inspector Les Young
#4 District serves York Region’s only city, the City of Vaughan, as well as the southern portion of the Township of King. Superintendent Tony Cusimano and Inspector Les Young form the District command team in charge of 216 officers and seven civilian members. Together they provide policing services to more than 250,000 residents living in an area which includes Canada’s Wonderland, Vaughan Mills Mall and a large commercial and industrial population.
Our Officers in Action
A MOTHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE
On January 14, 2008, a Newmarket mother picked up her toddler at a home daycare and left her vehicle running in the driveway. In that split second, her worst fear was realized. Her car – with her six-month-old baby in the backseat – was stolen.
The priority call came into the York Regional Police Communications Centre and was immediately broadcast across all Districts.
Constable Andrew Gordon of #4 District Uniform played a hunch, deciding to take up a position at an exit of Highway 400 to monitor highway traffic for the suspect vehicle.
Moments later it paid off. Constable Gordon saw the vehicle travelling southbound on Highway 400. He began following the car, while calmly voicing his information to dispatch. The dispatch operator quickly relayed his information to the York Regional Police helicopter Air2 and area patrol cars.
Moments later, #4 District cars descended on the area and began shutting down exit routes from Highway 400.
“Any time you go to a call where there is a child involved you feel a certain level of anxiety.It isn’t always easy to put away such highly-charged emotions but you know that you have to in order to do your job to the best of your ability,” said Constable Gordon.
Just a few kilometres away at Buttonville Airport in Markham, Air2 took to the skies and made its way to the scene. With its birdseye view of the suspect vehicle, Air2 was easily able to track the movements of the stolen car, allowing officers to safely follow the suspect.
Air2 and the following patrol cars observed the stolen vehicle exit the highway at a service centre just north of Major Mackenzie Drive. Constable Gordon, still following the suspect vehicle, decided to activate his emergency lights and initiate a traffic stop. It was then that the stolen car increased its speed, accelerated through a stop sign and headed back onto the southbound lanes of the highway.
With the vehicle speeding away at 160 km/hr, Constable Gordon made the decision to back off, fearing for the life and safety of the baby inside.
“When I realized how fast the car was traveling, I knew that the suspect had no regard for the life of the baby or anyone else on the road,” said Constable Gordon.
“It was obvious that his sole focus was evading the police and he didn’t care who he hurt in the process. At that point we just couldn’t risk him driving any faster than he already was.”
The stolen vehicle, with uniform officers responding and Air2 monitoring, then made a drastic turn in an attempt to exit the highway onto the Rutherford Road off-ramp. The driver then lost control of the vehicle and spun around, eventually coming to a stop facing oncoming traffic.
The driver attempted to turn the vehicle around in an effort to head southbound on the highway, but his dramatic escape attempt failed and the vehicle hit a tree.
The impact of the crash did little to slow the suspect, who then attempted to flee by climbing out of the driver’s side and running across the southbound and northbound lanes of the highway. Despite the danger, officers pursued him on foot. He was captured and arrested a short time later.
While his fellow officers were chasing down the suspect, Constable Gordon jumped out of his cruiser and raced to the frightened baby. While unhurt, the child was crying uncontrollably and was obviously traumatized
by the ordeal. Constable Gordon was happily able to reunite the child with his extremely grateful father at the scene.
“When I was able to see the baby with my own eyes and know that he was safe, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief,” said Constable Gordon.
On July 8, 2008, the 31-year-old suspect was charged with Abduction of a Person Under 14, Theft of Property Over $5,000, Possession of Property over $5,000, Flight From Police Officer, Possession of Break-in Instruments, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Mischief Endangering Life.
He ultimately pleaded guilty to Abduction of a Person under 14 and Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle. He was sentenced to three years in jail, received a 10-year driving prohibition and was ordered to surrender a DNA sample to the national DNA bank.
“The dedication and competence of Constable Gordon was instrumental in bringing this dangerous situation to a successful conclusion,” said #4 District Superintendent Tony Cusimano.
“His response rings true to the York Regional Police motto of Deeds Speak. It was his observations, along with his decisive actions – in conjunction with the support of other responding officers – that allowed us to
bring this to a successful conclusion,” added Superintendent Cusimano.
For his efforts, Constable Andew Gordon received the 2008 Excellence in Policing Award at the Annual Police Appreciation Night dinner.
