Two people facing first degree murder charge in fatal shooting of Ontario police officer

Two people have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of an OPP officer in Ohsweken.

Const. Grzegorz (Greg) Pierzchala, a Haldimand County OPP detachment officer, was in the area of Indian Line and Concession 14 Walpole when he came across a vehicle in a ditch and was shot during that interaction just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The circumstances leading up to the shooting weren’t immediately clear.

Pierzchala, who was 28 years old, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died.

Two suspects were arrested shortly after an emergency alert was issued in nearby Ohsweken and surrounding communities.

In a court appearance on Wednesday, 25-year-old Randall McKenzie and 30-year-old Brandi Crystal Lyn Stewart-Sperry were both charged with first-degree murder. The allegations against the accused haven’t been proven in court.

Haldimand County Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley visited the scene on Wednesday along with other community members to pay tribute to the 28-year-old officer.

“It is heartbreaking, disturbing, very upsetting for our community,” she said.

“These things just don’t happen in Haldimand County.”

Harold Sheldrick, who lives close to the scene, said he was surprised to hear about the fatal shooting in the “peaceful” town of about 3,000 people south of Hamilton.

“Sure, there is crime just like anywhere, but I mean out here it is the first time I have heard someone getting shot and killed,” Sheldrick said, adding he has lived in town for about a year.

“A lot of these families know each other, so I am kind of surprised something would escalate this far out here.”

RELATED: OPP officer fatally shot in Ohsweken while on duty, 2 suspects in custody

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique flew to Haldimand County on Tuesday to meet and speak with Pierzchala’s family members as well as other officers.

“Our hearts are actually broken as a policing family to announce the on-duty death of Constable Greg Pierzchala, who was with us for just over a year,” he told reporters during a brief news conference in Hagersville Tuesday night

Carrique said he learned Pierzchala, who previously served as a special constable at Queen’s Park and as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, wanted to be a police officer for most of his life.

He said Pierzchala learned early on Tuesday that he had just passed a 10-month probation and would be allowed to patrol solo as a permanent member of the OPP.

A procession for Pierzchala also occurred late Tuesday. Officers brought his body to Toronto from West Haldimand General Hospital.

Procession for Provincial Constable Grzegorz Pierzchala is mobile from West Haldimand Hospital en route to Toronto now. #HeroesInLife @OPP_WR pic.twitter.com/Iwe33kpzw5

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) December 28, 2022

Carrique didn’t release further information about the incident but said the shooting appeared to happen suddenly.

“As the officer approached the motor vehicle, the information we have is that he was open-fired upon, and he was shot and killed at that time,” Carrique said. “I have no reason to believe the officer had any opportunity to fire his weapon.”

He also praised members of the Six Nations Police Service for their “instrumental” help in tracking the suspects.

Meanwhile, Carrique and other OPP officers scheduled a news conference in Hagersville Wednesday evening to provide an update.

With files from The Canadian Press