Updated on Sunday, March 18 at 2:30 p.m.

A male pedestrian in his 20s was taken to hospital this morning at 1:30 a.m. after being hit by a police car at Johnson and Division Streets, witnesses say.

“We’re investigating an incident in that area. So far that’s all I can say,” Kingston Police Staff Sergeant Jody Armstrong told the Journal around 3 a.m. Sunday.

Kingston Police later issued a statement.

“As is mandated the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) was contacted by Kingston Police as an officer was involved in an incident where someone has been injured,” it read, adding that Kingston Police wouldn’t release any more information.

Lauren Lott, ArtSci ’13, said while she was walking past Division and Johnson Streets, she saw the male get hit by a police squad car. She said prior to this it appeared that the male was being pursued by police.

“I just heard a cop car hit the curb so I turned sideways and then at that exact moment I saw a guy get hit by the cop car and flip in the air and land on the ground,” she said. “Then that guy stood up and started running southbound on Division.”

Lott said the police continued to pursue.

“At that point he collapsed about halfway between Johnson and William [Streets],” she said. “The cop approached him and tried to see what injuries he had sustained.”

Lott said the male was put onto a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance.

“He was moving but in a lot of pain,” she said. “I don’t know if there was blood I was too far away to tell.”

Danielle Oliver, ArtSci ’12, was working at Stooley’s restaurant during the incident.

“The guy looked like he was on the ground and there were cops around him,” she said. “At the time I didn’t know if he was being taken down and then all of a sudden the whole block got taped off and there were police coming from every direction.”

At 3 a.m. Sunday, 10 police cars were still on scene and officers were taking statements from witnesses. Johnson Street was cordoned off between University Avenue and Barrie Street.

Witnesses of the incident are urged to call the Lead Investigator of the Special Investigation Unit at 416-622-2314 or 1-800-787-8529 ext. 2314.

—With files from Jake Edmiston