Fugitive seen arguing with woman moments before she was shot

New surveillance video has surfaced of a man wanted by Peel police for attempted murder moments before he allegedly shot and wounded a woman in Mississauga.

The 1-minute, 22-second video shows a man and a woman walking on a sidewalk and arguing. The woman follows the man across a street. The man appears to be covering a wound on his arm with a cloth, while the woman is clutching a knife. Toward the end of the video, when the two are on another sidewalk, the man turns around and confronts the woman.

Moments after they disappear from the screen, the woman was shot. She suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Peel Regional Police say they are looking for the man, identified as Michael Cleghorn, 31, of no fixed address. Police said he is believed to be armed and dangerous. He is accused of stealing two vehicles.

One vehicle allegedly stolen was a Peel police cruiser. It was found a short distance from where it was taken. The other vehicle, which has not yet been found, is described as a white 2013 Hyundai Sante Fe SUV with the Ontario license plate number, AYVL 950.

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating the incident because it believes Cleghorn may have been injured when police tried to apprehend him.

The shooting occurred in the area of Apple Blossom Circle, near White Clover Way and Mavis Road, on Tuesday at about 2:30 p.m. Police said they tried to arrest Cleghorn a short distance away in the area of Sandford Farm Drive and Stargazer Drive.

Neighbours interviewed by CBC Toronto say the shooting has shocked them because their neighbourhood is usually peaceful.

Adeeba Hussein, a resident who lives in the area, said she witnessed part of the argument between Cleghorn and the woman.

“I saw people standing there. The girl was shot and she was screaming. She was crying,” she said. “I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Then my neighbour told me. My sister-in-law told me. They all heard the gunshot.

“I was shocked because this neighbourhood is really quiet. It never happened here before. I was really scared. I am still scared. It was really sad to see what happened yesterday.”

Blood stains on the sidewalk suggest Cleghorn approached her front door. “It was really scary. He could have shattered my window. He had a gun with him.”

Maryam Shafiq, another resident, heard the couple violently arguing over a set of keys outside her window.

“I think she tried to get him with the knife again, and that’s when I heard the gunshot, and she fell.”

Shafiq called 911, as neighbours rushed to help.

Incident began as report about dispute involving weapons

Police said they were initially called to an address on Apple Blossom Circle for a report of a dispute involving weapons.

When officers arrived, they found a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. She was taken to hospital for treatment. Her current condition is not known.

Police said Cleghorn took off to a nearby park in the area of Sandford Farm Drive and Stargazer Drive, where officers tried to subdue him. He then allegedly got into an unoccupied police cruiser and tried to flee. Officers tried to Taser him.

“An altercation took place between the suspect and the officers when the suspect fled in an officer’s police vehicle. The police vehicle was located a short distance away after the suspect abandoned it,” Peel police said in a news release on Tuesday.

Police said Cleghorn allegedly stole the second vehicle and is still on the loose.

The SIU said a Peel officer shot at the man after the cruiser was stolen and Cleghorn may have been injured. The SIU said the cruiser was abandoned on Idlewilde Crescent.

“While the man has not yet been located, evidence in the cruiser indicates the man may have sustained an injury,” the SIU said in a release on Tuesday.

The SIU is called in whenever someone is injured, or there are allegations of sexual assault, in incidents involving police.

Suspect also wanted in Thunder Bay and Toronto

Cleghorn is wanted in other jurisdictions for separate incidents. He is wanted in Thunder Bay for an alleged murder in 2017 and in Toronto for the alleged sexual assault of a child in 2014.

Thunder Bay Police said he is a suspect in the murder of 21-year-old Edmond Clovis, who died from trauma after an alleged altercation.

Cleghorn is described as having a medium complexion, standing 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds.

Const. Heather Cannon, spokesperson for Peel police, said investigators are asking the public to keep an eye out for Cleghorn and the stolen vehicle, but not to approach him. Police are also looking for relevant surveillance camera video.

“He was last seen leaving in that vehicle. As of right now, he and the vehicle are outstanding,” Cannon said on Wednesday.