CANADIAN COP LOSES FISTFIGHT TO FELLOW COP … SO HE SHOOTS HIM

Niagara cop shot by fellow officer upgraded to stable condition

by Joe Warmington and Sam Pazzano

Toronto Sun
November 30, 2018

It was a dark day for policing in Niagara Region and the rest of the province.

A Niagara Regional Police constable was in grave condition after being shot in an altercation with a fellow officer who outranked him.

The shooting, sources say, followed a “heated argument” and “fist fight” between a constable and a detective sergeant responding to a traffic accident around Roland Rd. and Effingham St. in Pelham, 22 kilometres south of St. Catharines.

Wounded Const. Nathan Parker was in hospital fighting for his life Thursday while Det.-Sgt. Shane Donovan was determined to be the subject officer by the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

Sources told the Toronto Sun that Donovan was losing a fight before the shooting. Up to five bullets were allegedly discharged from a police officer’s gun.

There have been accidental shootings of police officers by their partners but in his more than 50 years as a Toronto Police officer, newly-named OPP Commissioner Ron Taverner, currently a superintendent, said he can’t recall ever hearing of a case where an officer shot a peer.

“It’s very sad and our thoughts are with the Niagara Police today,” he said.

The shooting victim, sources say, did not pull a weapon.

The SIU confirmed it is investigating an interaction between two Niagara Regional Police Service officers, and one of the cops suffered a gunshot wound.

There have been no reports so far of anybody being taken into custody and the SIU is leading the investigation.

“The SIU can confirm it is investigating an interaction between two Niagara Regional Police Service officers, and the gunshot wound sustained by one of the officers,” the SIU said in a tweet.

Niagara Regional Police later released a statement explaining the injured officer’s condition has been upgraded to stable.

“In the spirit of transparency, I have asked the Ontario Provincial Police to determine if there is any criminal culpability outside of the SIU’s scope,” Chief Bryan MacCulloch said in the statement.

“The days and weeks ahead will be trying ones for the NRPS family and the community we serve,” MacCulloch said. “I ask for your support for our members and all those involved.”

Sources say there may have been some “bad blood” between the two officers involved.

Sources told the Toronto Sun Parker has had a troubled past of police act charges and discipline issues.

Policing insiders say Parker racked up Police Services Act convictions, including for violence against prisoners, during his career.

He was docked 120 hours in 2015 after pleading guilty to discreditable conduct and unnecessary use of force against a prisoner.

In 2012, he was docked 60 hours pay after conducting his own investigation into a commanding officer who had been cleared of wrongdoing from a previous incident.

In 2011, Parker was found guilty of using unnecessary force and in 2008, he was docked 90 days pay for arresting a cyclist without cause.

In 2007, Parker lost a week’s pay after he was found guilty in a disciplinary hearing for pepper-spraying a handcuffed and restrained prisoner in the backseat of a cruiser in 2005.

Police sources say the constable was shot at least three times.

Local residents said the incident led to a rush of squad cars racing to the scene in the early afternoon.

Robin Zavitz, who lives in the area, said she was driving home around 1:30 p.m. when she came across a police blockade. She said she could see a police SUV in the ditch and numerous squad cars nearby.

“The police car is head-first in the ditch and there doesn’t appear to be any damage to it,” Zavitz said.

“It’s scary when a police officer has been shot in the middle of the day.”

Zavitz said a police car had been blocking the road at the same intersection all morning, but added the flurry of police activity didn’t occur until the early afternoon.

Mike Shepherd was driving home earlier in the day when he came across the same intersection around 11:30 a.m. An officer was in his squad car, blocking the road eastbound, Shepherd said.

“He said they were doing an accident investigation down the road,” Shepherd added.

A little more than an hour later, he said he saw an ambulance rush by.