The province’s Special Investigations Unit says a toddler suffered a fatal gunshot wound, his father was shot and an OPP officer was also injured after police responded to an abduction attempt east of Lindsay, Ont., on Thursday morning.
In a tweet issued at 2:06 p.m., the SIU said as a result of an “interaction” between a man and police, the man was shot and an officer was seriously injured.
“A young boy is deceased,” the SIU stated.
SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon says OPP officers around 8:45 a.m. were responding to reports of an alleged abduction of a one-year-old boy by his 33-year-old father at a home in the neighbouring Municipality of Trent Lakes.
According to OPP, Peterborough County OPP officers responded to a call for a domestic dispute involving a firearm at a Trent Lakes home. Global News has learned the location is about 10 kilometres northeast of the village of Bobcaygeon.
A Trent Lakes resident tells Global News she heard a vehicle speed away from a home and police chased it.
“We heard the first vehicle hit the side of the road, so you could tell it was going really fast,” said Michelle Barry. “Almost like a car chase. Then we heard the sirens.”
Another neighbour Tom Deciccio says he heard a frantic knock on his door — a woman, her son and a therapist were seeking refuge.
“Some people came to the house and wanted in, for a safe haven and there was something about the husband had left with the little baby,” he said.
“They were fraught, they were upset, quite badly. And she was worried about her baby.”
City of Kawartha Lakes OPP located a suspect pickup truck on Sturgeon Road attempted stop a vehicle involved in the incident, the SIU said, resulting in a collision between the vehicle and a OPP police cruiser and a civilian vehicle on Pigeon Lake Road, just east of Lindsay, about 30 kilometres southeast of the initial location in Trent Lakes.
“At the time of the collision an OPP officer was outside his vehicle and he sustained serious injuries as a result of the collision,” said Hudon.
OPP say “an altercation” occurred between the driver and officers. Police said as a result of the incident a child died at the scene. No details were provided.
The SIU says three OPP officers discharged their firearms at the man and struck him.
“Inside the vehicle was the man’s boy and he was fatally wounded,” Hudon said. “Fatal gunshot wound. Pronounced at scene.”
The suspect was arrested — with assistance from the municipal City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service — and later transported to a Toronto-area trauma centre with serious injuries, OPP said.
OPP say a City of Kawartha Lakes OPP officer suffered a serious injury and is being treated in Toronto.
At the request of OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, the City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service and York Regional Police Service will help with the ongoing investigation while the OPP’s criminal investigation branch will manage the scene.
In a tweet earlier, Carrique reported an officer was injured just east of Lindsay and that one suspect was in custody.
“There are no concerns for public safety,” he tweeted at 10:07 a.m. “Our thoughts and best wishes are with our officer, further information will follow.”
Global News has learned the officer was transported to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.
The municipal City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service in Lindsay closed Pigeon Lake Road between Heights Road and Settlers Road for the investigation.
An Ornge air ambulance was requested by officials but was unable to attend due to thick fog in the area at the time, a source tells Global News.
SIU investigators arrived on the scene at Pigeon Lake Road around 12:35 p.m. and invoked its mandate.
The SIU is an independent agency that investigates the conduct of officers responding to calls that have resulted in death, serious injury or alleged sexual assault.
Four investigators, one forensics investigator and a collision reconstructionist are investigating the incident, Hudon said. Three subject officers will be interviewed by investigators.
Anyone who has information or witnessed any of the events are asked to call the SIU at 1-800-787-8529.
— More to come.