OPP officer recovering, London man charged with multiple offences after traffic stop gone wrong
An OPP officer is recovering in hospital and a London man has been charged after a traffic stop went wrong this past weekend. CTV's Brent Lale reports.
As an Elgin County OPP officer recovers in hospital, well wishes are pouring in from police departments around the province.
The officer was injured when a traffic stop went wrong near St. Thomas on Sunday.
Police say a member of the Highway Safety Division saw a suspicious vehicle travelling on Highway 3 in Elgin County, at which time a traffic stop was initiated.
During the investigation, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene, striking the officer with a truck and trailer towing a boat.
'When you do a traffic stop and, there's no such thing as routine,' says Scott Mills of the Ontario Provincial Police Association.
'You always have to take the proper precautions especially when you are policing in a rural area. You're pretty cognizant that backup could be a distance away. The quicker you can call for backup when you think something's going to go wrong, even though if you don't know that it's going to go wrong, the better it is.'
OPP OFFICER HIT - JULY 2025
Elgin County OPP investigate after an officer was struck and injured during a traffic stop near St. Thomas, Ont. On July 19, 2025 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
Elgin County OPP and Medavie-Elgin EMS were dispatched to the scene to assist and the officer was transported to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the suspect vehicle was later arrested in Shedden, Ont. with witnesses saying there were close to a dozen OPP officers and the person was taken custody in handcuffs.
The incident happened on Highway 3 near the Burwell Rd. bridge and the road was closed from Centennial Ave to First Ave for the afternoon.
Mills, who was a police officer for 30 years in Toronto and Peel Region says officers risk their lives everyday to protect.
'Personally, I've stopped vehicles where they've had a loaded handgun under the seat and one thing leads to another and it happens pretty quickly,' says Mills.
'When you're in this situation, it can be quite frightening for a police officer and it just goes to show that the police officers that are out there, serving and protecting in the province of Ontario, they go above and beyond. They're always at risk. They're always in a potentially dangerous situation,' he added.
A 40 year old from London is facing several charges.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
12 minutes ago
- CTV News
Police appealing for witnesses, info after driver injured in single-vehicle crash in north Etobicoke
Ontario Provincial Police say a Sudbury driver has been charged with dangerous driving and is a suspect in other incidents following his arrest March 3 near Toronto. Police are appealing for witnesses and information after a 54-year-old driver was injured in a single-vehicle collision in north Etobicoke on Saturday afternoon. The crash happened at 3 p.m. on the northbound ramp to Highway 427 at Finch Avenue West. The Toronto OPP says the motorist was heading northbound and had exited at Finch. They then went through the intersection and drove into the ditch before hitting a barrier, police say. The driver was taken to a trauma centre. Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP at 416-235-4981 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Parker's memory is still alive': Community event honours baby found dead along Brantford trail 20 years ago
Sunday marked a somber anniversary in the City of Brantford. Twenty years ago, on July 28, 2005, a woman was walking with her dog on a trail near Dufferin Avenue and Parkside Drive when she discovered the body of a full-term baby, wrapped in a towel. Officials named him Baby Parker because of his proximity to Parkside Drive. Margaret Littlewood was the person who discovered his remains. 'I was so upset,' she told CTV News in 2016. The baby's mother has never been identified, despite extensive efforts by the Brantford Police Service. To mark the 20th anniversary of the discovery, Parker's Project hosted a community walk. 'Parker's memory is still alive and well, even if it's small,' said facilitator, Shalyn Wilson. 'We just really love Parker. At this point, he's like a member of our family.' The parent-led advocacy group said they are stepping up to act as the baby's family. 'Parker's Project began in 2017 with a simple, but powerful mission: to ensure that no parent ever feels so overwhelmed, isolated or unsupported that they believe they have no options,' a post on the group's Facebook page reads. The remembrance walk began at 10 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery – where Baby Parker was ultimately laid to rest. Shortly after, Wilson, along with her two children, sang happy birthday and shared cupcakes at the baby's grave site as a way to commemorate the solemn anniversary. 'My priority is making sure that Parker isn't forgotten.' baby parker anniversary Shalyn Wilson (M) and her two kids, Blake (L) and Harmony (R) at Mount Hope Cemetery on July 27, 2025. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News) Investigation details Following the discovery of Baby Parker's remains, Brantford Police conducted the largest canvass in service history. 'Hundreds of DNA samples were collected from members of the public living in the neighbourhood where Baby Parker was found,' they said in a 2023 release. 'The samples were sent to the Center of Forensic Sciences; however, none were found to have a biological link to Baby Parker.' Several 'persons of interests' have been identified over the last two decades. Police said all of them have been cleared as the child's potential parent. Baby Parker search Police investigate the discovery of a dead baby near Parkside Drive in Brantford in this file image from video taken in July 2005. On Aug. 3, 2005, less than a week after Baby Parker was found, investigators said they received a letter from a person who claimed to be the infant's mother. Police released portions of the letter in hopes that someone would recognize the handwriting. 'The letter, purportedly written by the mother of Baby Parker, indicated that she would be in contact with police in the coming days,' police said. But no one ever came forward. Brantford Police said Ontario Provincial Police were previously involved in the investigation, and even helped generate a profile of the mother. In 2005, the mother was believed to have been between 13 and 17 years old, with a connection to the Holmedale neighbourhood. 'The pregnancy was possibly kept secret by the mother from those close to her,' police said. CTV Kitchener: Baby Parker cold case Continued appeal Despite the passage of time, investigators said they remain committed to finding Baby Parker's mother, father or anyone else who can them close the case. 'Police continue to believe that there are members of the public who have information that will be beneficial to the case,' police said. Baby Parker Gave 18 years July 2023 Baby Parker's headstone at Mount Hope Cemetery in Brantford decorated with birthday decor to mark the 18 years since his passing. (Stefanie Davis/CTV News) They also believe the utilization of new investigative technology could 'help build a familial lineage to move the case forward.' Anyone with any information related to the case of Baby Parker is asked to contact Det. Const. Chris Fleming at 519-756-7050, ext. 2851. Push for safe surrender options Wilson said the goal of Sunday's small gathering was not only to honour the infant but also raise awareness for maternal mental health. 'In Canada, there is no legal way to abandon a baby,' she explained. 'A long-term goal is to get a Hope's Cradle here in Brantford. Somebody with a newborn can put their newborn in and they leave with a packet of information and resources and then an alarm goes off so that firefighters or whoever is in charge of that Hope's Cradle box is able to handle the baby, make sure they are medically okay and find them a new home.' Parker's Project is calling for increased provincial support and the expansion of these safe surrender initiatives they believe could help prevent similar tragedies like Baby Parker's. 'The more support that we can provide and the more that we help people through the tough times, the more people will succeed and the less we'll see situations like Parker's.' - With files from Heather Senoran
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Montreal police investigating death of 52-year-old man in Saint-Léonard
Montreal police are investigating the death of a 52-year-old man on Sunday in Montreal's Saint-Léonard borough. Earlier in the day, police said the death was considered suspicious but later confirmed it was a homicide. It is believed that there was a break-in at a residence at around 4:30 a.m. near where the victim was found, said Montreal police spokesperson Caroline Chèvrefils. A suspect, a 31-year-old man, was arrested nearby in connection with break-in and transported to an investigation centre for questioning, Chèvrefils said. He was scheduled to appear by videoconference at the Court of Quebec on Sunday afternoon. Chèvrefils stated that the break-in could possibly be related to the man's death, but that it is too early to confirm. The investigation is ongoing and no arrest has yet been made in connection with the homicide. This is the 23rd homicide in Montreal since the beginning of the year.
