Two men arrested following carjacking in north Burlington, Halton police dog shot in paw

Halton police have arrested two men in connection to a carjacking in north Burlington, which also led to a police dog being shot in the paw Thursday afternoon.

Officers say a woman was driving in her Porsche Macan at around 5:35 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Guelph Line and Derry Road, when she felt she was being followed by a grey Chevrolet pickup truck.

When she pulled into the parking lot at Kilbride Public School on Panton Street, two masked men had exited the pickup truck, and each pointed a handgun at her.

The woman immediately left her vehicle and the two men had driven away in both her Porsche and in their own vehicle east on Kilbride Street.

Around an hour later, investigators were able to find the woman’s Porsche abandoned and unoccupied in a parking lot in the area of Tobyn and Kilmer Drives in Burlington.

Police say they also found the Chevrolet pickup truck in the area.

Detectives had identified and located the two men at around 1:10 p.m. Thursday in the area of Walkers Line and Kilmer Drive.

Officers arrested 33-year-old James Garthwaite of Burlington, and found him in possession of a quantity of drugs and two loaded firearms.

The second man was identified as 32-year-old William Langdon of Oakville, who tried to escape the area in a Volkswagen SUV, but was later found in Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington.

Both men were charged with offences related to the carjacking, including robbery with a firearm, motor vehicle theft where violence was used, and for possessing drugs for the purposes of trafficking.

Garthwaite and Langdon have been held in custody pending a bail hearing in a Milton courthouse.

The Chevrolet pickup truck was found to have been re-VINed and confirmed stolen out of the Niagara region.

A search of the truck and a home in Burlington led to the seizure of a 3D printer, 3D printed firearms – “ghost guns”, and a vehicle reprogramming device.

Police say Langdon is also currently on a form of release for prior firearms offences, and Garthwaite is currently on federal statutory release for a violent firearms offence.

“I am deeply concerned by the escalating level of violence and the use of loaded firearms in the commission of these crimes,” said Stephen Tanner, the Chief of Police of the Halton Regional Police Service. “Let me be perfectly clear—this type of criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in our community.”

Halton police dog expected to fully recover after being shot in the paw

During the investigation, a Halton police dog “Freddy” and his handler were searching through a wooded area of Sherwood Forest Park as part of a post-arrest search.

Freddy’s paw had come into contact with a loaded firearm that was allegedly dropped by Langdon, in an area of heavy brush.

The gun had fired and hit Freddy in the paw – it was not being handled when it discharged.

Freddy was medically treated and police say he is expected to fully recover.

“We are equally grateful for our tenacious police service dog Freddy and look forward to his full recovery,” said Superintendent Dave Costantini with Halton police.

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