A young boy is dead and an OPP officer has been seriously injured following an incident near Lindsay on Thursday morning (November 26).
The incident, which occurred on Pigeon Lake Road (Kawartha Lakes Road 17), is now under investigation by the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
“As a result of an interaction between a man and police, the man was shot and a police officer was seriously injured,” the SIU tweeted. “A young boy is deceased. More information to come later.”
According to a tweet from OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, a suspect was apprehended and there are no concerns for public safety. Carrique also later tweeted the injured officer is in stable condition and receiving medical care.
Both the OPP and the SIU have released media releases with further details about the incident.
According to the OPP media release, at around 8:48 a.m. on Thursday morning, Peterborough County OPP responded to a call for service in the Municipality of Trent Lakes related to a domestic dispute involving a firearm.
When officers from Kawartha Lakes OPP attempted to stop the vehicle involved in the dispute on Pigeon Lake Road, the vehicle collided with an OPP cruiser. Police say an altercation then occurred between the man driving the vehicle and officers.
“The male was apprehended, with the assistance of members of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service,” the media release states. “This male was transported to a Toronto area trauma centre with serious injuries.”
A Kawartha Lakes OPP officer was also seriously injured during the incident and is being treated in Toronto.
Police state a child died at the scene as a result of the incident. The OPP media release provides no details of the nature of the altercation between the man and officers, how the officer was injured, the relationship of the child who died to the suspect, or how the child died.
However, a media release issued by SIU provides further details.
According to the SIU, the OPP were responding to a report that a 33-year-old man had abducted his one-year-old son from the Municipality of Trent Lakes.
A short time later, the OPP located the man’s pickup truck on Sturgeon Road in the City of Kawartha Lakes and unsuccessfully 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 SIU states. “The man was struck and airlifted to the hospital in grave condition.”
SIU investigating incident in the City of Kawartha Lakes. As a result of an interaction between a man and police, the man was shot and a police officer was seriously injured. A young boy is deceased. More information to come later.
— SIU (@SIUOntario) November 26, 2020
The SIU states the one-year-old boy was inside the pickup truck and sustained a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
At a media conference on Thursday afternoon, Monica Hudon with the SIU said it is unclear if the gunshot that killed the child came from the three officers.
“It’s too early for us to know why officers fired at the vehicle,” Hudson said. “And it’s too early for us to know exactly what transpired.”
The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault in incidents involving the police. Four investigators, two forensic investigators. and one collision reconstructionist from the SIU have been assigned to the case. At this time, three subject officers have been designated.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. Anyone who may have any video evidence related to this incident is asked to upload that video through the SIU website at www.siu.on.ca.
This story has been updated with further details from media releases issued by the OPP and the SIU.
