DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard
KAWARTHA LAKES: Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is looking into an incident after an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer was injured and a young boy was killed in Kawartha Lakes on Thursday, November 26th. According to the SIU, at about 8:45 a.m. “the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was made aware that a father had abducted his son from the Municipality of Trent Lakes.” A little while later, the SIU states, “the OPP located a vehicle of interest, a pickup truck, in the City of Kawartha Lakes on Sturgeon Road. Officers attempted to stop the truck.” “On Pigeon Lake Road, the truck became involved in a collision with an OPP cruiser and a civilian vehicle. At that time, an OPP officer was standing outside of the cruiser and he sustained serious injuries. An interaction ensued between the 33-year-old vehicle driver and officers, and three officers discharged their firearms. The man was struck and airlifted to the hospital in grave condition. Inside the pickup truck was a one-year-old boy. He had sustained a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” read an SIU press release. Following the incident, OPP commissioner Thomas Carrique tweeted a suspect had “been apprehended and there [were] no concerns for public safety.” In a follow up tweet, posted in the afternoon, he stated the injured officer was “currently in stable condition and receiving medical care.” The SIU is asking anyone with further information on this investigation to contact their lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. Those who have video of the incident are asked to upload them to the SIU website at www.siu.on.ca.