Homicide detectives are investigating the death of York Regional Police Const. Garrett Styles, who was killed Tuesday morning after being struck and pinned underneath a minivan north of Toronto.
Styles was dragged about 300 metres after stopping a Dodge Caravan containing four youths, at Herald Road and Highway 48 in the town of East Gwillimburry, east of Newmarket, Ont., shortly after 5 a.m.
York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe said at a press conference that Styles was at the driver-side door when the vehicle accelerated, dragging him into a field before the driver of the van lost control and flipped over.
Styles was pinned underneath the van, but managed to contact police dispatch over his radio and direct emergency crews to his location.
"I've got a van on my waist," Styles can be heard saying in a recording of the call. "It hurts. And, uh, I've got these people inside the van. I don't know how they are doing."
The 15-year-old unlicenced driver of the vehicle sustained serious injuries in the crash and was taken to hospital.
The three passengers, also youths from York Region, were co-operating with police. At least one person was arrested.
CTV Toronto has learned that the van had been stolen from the family of one of the youths involved.
Styles, who would have turned 33 on Sunday, was transported to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at 6:10 a.m.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa, a civilian employee of the York Regional Police Service, and two small children, a two-year-old girl and nine-week-old boy.
"This is a tragedy for us, his family and his community," Jolliffe told reporters on Tuesday.
"His supervisors spoke of him as a dedicated, professional, hard-working officer who always had time to assist others," said Jolliffe. "He was well-liked among his peers and he loved being a police officer."
Styles followed his father's footsteps
Styles came from a police family: His father is retired staff sergeant Gary Styles, his cousin is a constable in York Regional's 2 District and his wife works in the force's information management department.
Styles was a seven-year veteran of the force. He joined York Regional Police in December 2003 and became a constable in May 2004. He covered the towns of Newmarket, Aurora and East Gwillimbury.
He had also just wrote a promotional exam to become a sergeant, passing with an 82 per cent.
Jolliffe told reporters outside Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket Tuesday morning that Styles was "competent and capable" and his family would appreciate time to "collect themselves."
Officers were seen hugging and crying at the scene of the incident, where a smashed grey minivan still lies in a field beside the highway.
The York Regional Police Homicide Unit and officers with the Collision Reconstruction Unit are investigating. Canine teams were also used to search the fields.
‘A stark reminder' of the dangers of policing
Durham Regional Police Chief Constable Mike Ewles said in a statement that the death of Styles is a "stark reminder of how dangerous a job" it is and "how officers put their lives on the line every day for the safety of the community."
Condolences have poured out through social media. The Toronto Police Service tweeted, "R.I.P. Officer. You are a ‘Hero in Life, Not Death.' Thank you for your service."
Flowers and hand-written messages were also being left at York Regional Police's 1 District Headquarters , where the flags are at half-mast.
Styles is the tenth York Region police officer to die on the job. The last York Region police officer to be killed in the line of duty was also struck and pinned by a fleeing vehicle.
Det.-Const. Robert Plunkett was killed in August 2007 while investigating a series of airbag thefts.
The man accused in the incident was found guilty of manslaughter in April. The sentencing for that case is scheduled for Wednesday.
Last winter, Toronto police Sgt. Ryan Russell was stuck and killed while trying to stop a snowplow allegedly stolen by a drifter.
"Police officers put their lives on the line each and every day when they leave their families to protect others," Jolliffe told reporters on Tuesday.
"Their selfless sacrifice and hard work ensures our communities are safe places to live and raise a family. Every man and woman who answers the call of policing understands that he or she lives facing ever-present uncertainty and risk."
