A Sault man is accused of lighting up a Molotov cocktail and throwing it at police officers.
Police say a call came in about an erratic driver in the 2600 block of Second Line West on Tuesday evening. Upon locating the vehicle on Town Line Road, police say the vehicle evaded officers, nearly striking another vehicle in the process.
The vehicle then struck a hydro pole on Carpin Beach Road before stopping, but officers were unable to arrest the driver because all the doors were locked and police say he refused to open them.
That is when the accused lit a Molotov cocktail, according to a release issued this afternoon by Sault Police.
Officers then forced entry into the vehicle, and the accused threw the Molotov cocktail at officers, say police.
Police say the officers extinguished the fire and arrested the driver. One officer was injured by a knife discovered in the driver's waistband, police say.
Tyson Palahnuk, 26, has been charged with four counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, flight from police, resist arrest, possession of a weapon contrary to a prohibition order and three counts of breach of recognizance.
He was held for bail court.
This isn't the first time in the last two weeks that officers have come face-to-face with a potentiallly dangerous weapon. Last week, the explosives disposal unit closed off part of Peoples Road after officers discovered what appeared to be a pipe bomb on a man they had offered a ride home.
The device turned out not to contain commercial-grade explosive materials, but a 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with making or possessing explosives for an unlawful purpose, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and carrying a concealed weapon. Police did not release the man's name, citing "the nature of the incident," which occurred following what police described as an unwanted persons call.