Shot fired during rural road robbery

BRACEBRIDGE — Police undertook a “high risk” take down Tuesday evening while arresting a three men, including two from Gravenhurst, wanted in a rural street robbery that saw a shot fired.
Bracebridge Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Muskoka Crime Unit are investigating a robbery that occurred on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in a vehicle on Muskoka Road 118 in Bracebridge.
The victims met with the three suspects, who arrived together in a vehicle, at the intersection of Muskoka Road 118 and Brackenrig Road in Muskoka Lakes Township. Two of the three suspects got into the victim’s vehicle and a demand for cash was made. At the same time, a single shot was discharged from a firearm.
The two vehicles started driving in tandem toward Highway 11 North and one of the victims was able to activate 9-1-1 from a cell phone which immediately engaged police.
The victims were instructed to pull over on Highway 11 near Holiday Park Drive and as they did so, two suspects fled on foot.
Police arrived quickly, contained the area and one of the suspects, 27 year-old Nicholas Jarvis of Gravenhurst, Ontario was arrested nearby.
The suspect vehicle that had been following continued northbound on Highway 11 and was located by police on Bonnie Lake Road in Bracebridge. A high risk vehicle stop was conducted and the driver, 29 year-old Mitchell Jarvis of Gravenhurst, Ontario was subsequently arrested.
The OPP Canine Unit was deployed with the support of the OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT) to search for the remaining suspect. An extensive canine track was conducted and as the track crossed Highway 11, for the safety of the public and the involved officers, the highway was closed for a short period of time.
Police located the remaining suspect, 35 year-old Jermaine Dufus, of Mississauga, Ontario hiding in a nearby forest west of Highway 11. He was suffering from hypothermia and was carried by police to the roadway where Muskoka Paramedic Services were waiting and transported him to hospital.
Police have charged the three accused’s each with Robbery Using a Firearm CC 344(1)(a.1) and they will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Bracebridge today. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are anticipated.
They ask that anyone with information is asked to please call Bracebridge OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. You can submit your information online at www.crimestopperssdm.com if you have any information on this crime or any other crime. Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to call display and you will remain anonymous. Being anonymous, you will not testify in court and your information may lead to a cash reward of up to $2,000.