1-year-old boy fatally shot, OPP officer seriously hurt after incident in Kawartha Lakes

Ontario’s police watchdog says a 33-year-old father involved in a police pursuit that led to his 1-year-old son being fatally shot and an OPP officer seriously injured, has died in hospital.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says the shooting happened following a domestic dispute and an abduction attempt from a Trent Lakes home.

On Nov. 26, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received reports that a father had abducted his son just before 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Officers discovered a vehicle of interest a short-time later and attempted to stop the pickup truck.

Officers said a police chase ensued and an OPP cruiser collided with the suspect vehicle on Pigeon Lake Road in Kawartha Lakes. An OPP officer was standing outside the police cruiser when the collision took place and suffered serious injuries.

According to the SIU, an altercation then occurred between the father and the officers. Three officers discharged their weapons and the 33-year-old was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

“An altercation occurred between the male driver and officers. The male was apprehended, with the assistance of members of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service,” OPP said in a statement.

“This male was transported to a Toronto area trauma centre with serious injuries.”

In a release, the SIU said the father died of his injuries in hospital on Wednesday night and that a post-mortem is scheduled for Friday morning.

OPP said the one-year old boy, who was in the backseat of the vehicle, was fatally shot and pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem was conducted on Saturday.

The SIU said that prior to the shooting, the father’s vehicle collided with an OPP cruiser and a civilian vehicle. An officer who was outside of the cruiser – laying down a spike belt – sustained serious injuries as a result of the collision.

The OPP officer remains in hospital in stable condition.

Last week, the SIU came in possession of the man’s pickup truck for examination. Forensics is in possession of a handgun that was located in the vehicle.

Three police-issued firearms that were discharged are currently with the SIU.

Investigators have also interviewed several witnesses.

This is the second OPP officer to be involved in a serious incident in the last few weeks.

On Nov. 19, 28-year OPP veteran officer Marc Hovingh was killed after an shooting on Manitoulin Island that also resulted in the death of a civilian.

Hovingh was laid to rest on Saturday.