A long investigation by the Special Investigations Unit surrounding the death of an infant in the City of Kawartha Lakes has resulted in three officers being charged.
According to the police watchdog, on November 26th 2020, police were notified that a man had abducted his son in Trent Lakes.
OPP officers tried to stop the pickup truck that the man was driving, which resulted in the truck and and OPP cruiser collided.
Shots were fired by police, which ended up in the death of the father and the 1 year old boy inside the truck.
The SIU says it collected three police-issued firearms and a gun in the pickup truck from the scene.
The Special Investigations Unit has announced that as a result of their investigation, three OPP officers have been charged criminally in the death of the 1 year old.
OPP Constables Nathan Vanderheyden, Kenneth Pengelly, and Grason Cappus are each charged with one count of manslaughter and one count criminal negligence causing death.
In a response to the SIU’s decision, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique issued the following statement:On November 26, 2020, a family suffered the tremendous loss of their child, and the Ontario Provincial Police extends to them our deepest sympathies. Our mission is to protect our citizens, uphold the law and preserve public safety. When a tragedy such as this occurs, it affects the families, the community and our whole service. It is devastating when an innocent life is lost during an incident.
We thank members of the public who awaited the findings of the SIU, rather than speculating on what occurred. We respect the mandate and responsibilities of the SIU and will not comment further as this matter proceeds through the appropriate court processes.
