Man, 81, injured in collision with Gatineau police cruiser

An 81-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries Thursday after a Gatineau police cruiser pursuing a possible gun suspect collided with his vehicle.

The collision happened at around 3:10 p.m. at Des Allumettières Boulevard and Chemin Vanier, said Gatineau police in a French-language statement.

Shortly before the collision, Gatineau police had received a report about a man who allegedly had a gun in his vehicle.

Officers carried out a "high-risk" interception and pulled the man over near Des Allumettières and St-Raymond Boulevard — where it turned out he was carrying an air pistol he'd purchased at a local store, police said.

During the interception, however, an officer heading northbound on Chemin Vanier collided with the 81-year-old man's vehicle.

The man had to be extricated from his car and was taken to Hull Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The officer driving the cruiser was not injured, police said, but was also taken to hospital as a precaution.

Gatineau police are investigating the collision. The intersection is expected to be closed until later Thursday evening.

No charges were laid against the man with the air pistol, Gatineau police said, as no crime had been committed.