Shooting incident on Pigeon Lake Road followed reported abduction by boy's father near Bobcaygeon
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has concluded that the child killed in the tragic shooting in Kawartha Lakes in November was shot by a City of Kawartha Lakes OPP officer.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has concluded that the child killed in the tragic shooting in Kawartha Lakes in November was shot by a City of Kawartha Lakes OPP officer.
These findings were released on Thursday, Feb. 11 by the SIU.
“Upon receipt and review of additional forensic evidence in this case, including the results of the postmortem examination performed on a child, and reports prepared by the Centre of Forensic Sciences of analyses conducted with respect to bloodstains in the pickup truck, the trajectory of shots that struck the truck, and firearms, cartridge cases and projectiles, the SIU can today confirm that the child’s death on Nov. 26, 2020 in Kawartha Lakes was the result of being shot by police,” reads a release.
The SIU claims on that date, a one-year-old boy, identified as Jameson Shapiro on a GoFundMe page, died in the course of an interaction between the boy’s 33-year-old father and OPP officers. The father – who was shot by police – succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
"We continue to offer our deepest sympathies to the family and those affected as we await the final report of the Kawartha Lakes SIU Investigation," OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique wrote on Twitter Thursday afternoon.
"It is devastating to all OPP members when an innocent life is lost during an incident."
No further details were released and the SIU has not said if the father fired upon officers during the incident. SIU communications co-ordinater, Monica Hudon, says the SIU is unable to release that information at this time of the investigation because they’re still awaiting additional firearm reports and postmortem results for the father.
Further, Hudon says the three OPP officers who discharged their firearms have not availed themselves of an opportunity to be interviewed. Subject officers are under no legal obligation to speak with the SIU.
"Once all of the evidence is in, the director will examine that evidence to determine whether there are reasonable grounds to lay charges," Hudon adds.
It has been almost three months since the alleged kidnapping of the Trent Lakes boy by his father east of Bobcaygeon on Nov. 26, 2020. That incident resulted in a police pursuit that ended with a collision east of Lindsay on Pigeon Lake Road and police firing upon a pickup truck with a 33-year-old man and his son inside. Both the man and his child sustained gunshot wounds in the incident.
The child was pronounced dead at the scene and the father died later of his injuries.
A few days after the incident the SIU released the following information from its preliminary investigation:
• At approximately 8:45 a.m. on November 26, 2020, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was made aware that a father had abducted his son from the Municipality of Trent Lakes.
• A short time later, 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.
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