Manslaughter proceedings for OPP officer returns to court in September
SIU and OPP vehicles are seen where a car rests in the ditch along Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent, Ont. on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
The court case involving Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer Const. Sean O’Rourke will return to a Chatham courtroom on Sept. 9 before a trial date is scheduled for Sept. 25.
The provincial Special Investigations Unit (SIU) laid the charges against the officer on Jan. 14, 2022 following an investigation into the shooting death of a man in Chatham-Kent.
According to SIU investigators, the OPP responded to a gas theft in July 2021, when officers spotted a vehicle on the westbound lanes on Highway 401 and followed it.
The suspect vehicle rolled into a ditch near Highgate, Ont. and an officer’s firearm discharged, shooting the driver, as the officer approached the vehicle.
The man was rushed to hospital, but was later pronounced dead.
A section of the 401 was closed to traffic as part of the investigation.
The officer is charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of criminal negligence causing death.
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