OPP officers awarded for actions
POLICE: Officers joined pursuit after being at bedside of injured colleague
Posted By PEGGY ARMSTRONG, LINDSAY POST REPORTER
Posted 2 months ago
-Seven Ontario Provincial Police officers stationed in Kawartha Lakes were recognized for exemplary performance of duty in an awards ceremony held Wednesday in Orillia.
Sgt. Mark Wolfe and Constables Mike Deyell, Chris Lewis, Ryan McCann, Brian McDermott and Peter Corbett received medals for their part in a Feb. 15, 2003 chase on Highway 35 of a car that was stolen in Norland. The high-speed pursuit uth on Hwy 35 to Killarney Bay Road, where a spike belt was used to try to disable the car. The suspect drove directly at Const. Deyell's police vehicle, forcing him to flee, but at the last minute, the vehicle swerved, according to the presentation by the OPP. It was forced off the road by Sgt. Wolfe.
The suspect was arrested at the scene and later identified "as having an extensive criminal record for violent crimes, including armed robbery, and was known to have affiliations with notorious outlaw motorcycle group," the OPP stated.
He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to seven years in custody.
In a separate incident on Dec. 9, 2007, Const. Peter Corbett was again recognized for exemplary performance of duty, along with Const. Mark McDermott.
On that day, a man shot another man in London, Ont., then fled in a vehicle, armed with a shotgun and holding a woman hostage.
Later in the morning, according to the OPP presentation, the suspect's vehicle was being pursued northbound on Hwy 115 by Durham Regional Police Service officers.
"Provincial Constables McDermott and Corbett had completed their shifts and were at a local hospital to be with a seriously injured colleague, who had just been in an on-duty collision, when they received the call regarding the pursuit."
Other OPP officers were involved in the chase and by the time McDermott and Corbett joined, the suspect's vehicle had run over a spike belt.
The officers blocked the suspect's car from passing between them. McDermott lost control of his cruiser while the suspect tried to pass on the left, sending both vehicles into the ditch where they became stuck in the snow of the centre median.
McDermott, Corbett and other officers approached the vehicle but found that both the suspect and hostage had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The two constables were honoured "for their outstanding attempts to apprehend the armed man and rescue his hostage."
Awards for community service and citations for bravery were also handed out at the annual ceremony.
- parmstrong@thepost.ca
