Windsor man shot by police after pointing shotgun at officers sentenced to 9 months in jail

Windsor police and EMS on scene at the Countryside Village Trailer Park after a shooting on Sept. 16, 2018. (Lori Berg / CTV Windsor)

A Windsor man who a Superior Court Justice says is "lucky to be alive" has been sentenced to nine months in jail and 18 months probation following a 2018 incident which saw him threaten two officers with a shotgun before being shot twice by police.

During the sentencing hearing of Marc Sevigny, Justice Bruce Thomas concluded that on Sept. 16, 2018, the now-53-year-old was in the midst of a multi-day argument with his spouse, prompting him to consume alcohol and arm himself "for whatever reason" with a shotgun and bat.

"His spouse called a neighbour saying that she was afraid and the neighbour then contacted police," Thomas said Friday.

Const. Phil Kolody and Const. Rob Brisco attended the scene at the Countryside Village trailer park in South Windsor.

"Mr. Sevigny was clearly agitated. He refused to follow police direction. He picked up the shotgun — putting everyone in danger — and he then pointed it at Constable Brisco," Thomas said, adding Const. Briscoe was left with "no choice but to protect himself, his partner and the public."

"Constable Brisco drew and fired his service handgun, striking Mr. Sevigny two times."

Back in 2018, Windsor police described his injuries as life-threatening. The SIU added the shooting left him in critical condition. On Friday, Thomas said Sevigny spent 18 days in hospitals in both Detroit and Windsor before being discharged.

Sevigny continues to suffer from shoulder mobility issues, scarring and pain, the judge said, and is "frankly lucky to be alive." But the judge added his sentence must speak to the need to curb firearm possession and gun violence.

"As well, an aggravating factor is that while in the course of a domestic dispute, Mr. Sevigny armed himself with a firearm. The potential of intimate partner violence is clearly on the mind of this community at this time."

The judge also said that while the gunshot wounds "have clearly left a mark" on Sevigny, it is "naive" to suggest that the officers walked away from the incident unscathed.

Mitigating factors behind the sentence, Thomas clarified, include Sevigny's guilty plea during a May 2021 pre-sentence hearing, the apparent support of his spouse who calls him a "hard worker and good provider," and the efforts of Sevigny's employer to support his rehabilitation.

Sevigny must also attend assessment counselling or rehabilitation programs deemed necessary by his probation officer and is prohibited from possessing weapons for life.