

Joshua Freeman, CP24.com





Toronto police say they are looking for a suspect after a female police officer was assaulted during a traffic stop.

It happened on March 9 at around 3:20 p.m. in the area of Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue West.

Toronto police said the officer was conducting a traffic stop when the male driver exited the vehicle, approached the officer and punched her in the head several times.

The suspect then fled on foot and was last seen going south on Weston Road.

The officer was treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said they have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Dwayne Banfield of Toronto.

Banfield is wanted for assaulting a police officer causing bodily harm, escaping lawful custody, obstructing police and driving a motor vehicle with no validation on plate.

Banfield is described as standing five-foot-seven to five-foot-nine with a thin build and short braids. He was wearing a bucket-style hat, possibly with white and blue colouring, a camouflage coat with a vertical zipper on the left upper arm, a name plate over the left chest bone, an unknown chain on left shoulder, and green pants.

Police said he is “considered violent.”

Anyone who spots him is being asked to call 911 immediately.