Procession takes bodies of officers killed in Innisfil shooting back to Barrie

Hundreds of spectators lined the route of a police procession to Barrie Friday morning for the two officers shot to death in Innisfil earlier this week.

The bodies of South Simcoe Police Service Constable Morgan Russell, 54, and Constable Devon Northrup, 33, were escorted by several police cruisers from South Simcoe, the Ontario Provincial Police and York Regional Police.

The procession began from the Office of the Chief Coroner in Toronto, near Highway 401 and Keele Street, at 9 a.m.

Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, along with several other emergency responders, were at the coroner’s office to honour the fallen officers.

“When something like this happens and when one of us is injured, that impacts us all. Of course in this case no one's being impacted more than our colleagues in police but there's not a lot that we can do other than to be here,” he said.

The procession traveled west on Highway 401 and north on Highway 400 to two funeral homes in Barrie.

Members of the public and emergency services partners lined a bridge on Highway 89 to view the procession and show their support.

South Simcoe Police Acting Chief John Van Dyke attended the bridge to pay his respects and said the police service has received overwhelming support.

“It is a very tough day for us as we repatriate our officers back into our community and get ready to honor them with the send off that they deserve. And my heart goes out to the members of our service and the families that have been so devastated by this,” Van Dyke said.

Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique was also there for the send off and said he knew Const. Northrup personally.

“This is absolutely heartbreaking for all police officers and police families…We're all absolutely crushed but we stand united as a policing family in support of our fallen officers and their families,” Carrique said.

Northrup had six years of service with South Simcoe Police and is survived by his partner, parents and many close friends. Russell was a 33-year veteran of the service and is survived by his wife and two teenage children.

FUNERAL PLANS

South Simcoe Police have said that the slain officers will receive “a full police funeral,” however details are still being finalized.

On Friday evening, police officers from at least six services held a five-kilometre run in honour of the fallen officers.

The run started at 6:30 p.m. at Coronation Park, located at Strachan Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard, and travelled along the Martin Goodman Trail. 

Police officers from at least six services held a five-kilometre run in honour of the fallen officers. (Scott Lightfoot/CTV News Toronto)

The run is inspired by Const. Northrup who participated four times in the annual memorial run to Ottawa honouring officers who died in the line of duty.

"It's surreal to think that now we are running not only today and next year for the ceremony in his name," Const. Laurie McCann said, who organized the last-minute run.

Det. Const. Sarah Bamford with Barrie police was one of the participants. She knew Northrup, who she described as a "good" police officer.

"It was great to be here. At the same time, it was a very sombre event," Bamford said.

"I think runs like this are very significant because, again, we're bringing awareness to the police memorial run, and we're bringing awareness to the brothers and sisters that have died in the line of dut. It's very important."

SHOOTING SUSPECT

Meanwhile, the autopsy for the man suspected of killing the officers is set for today.

While Ontario’s police watchdog has not yet identified the shooter, CTV News Toronto has confirmed him to be 22-year-old Chris Doncaster through several family friends and an ex-girlfriend.

The SIU initially said the man was 23 years old but has since corrected his age.

Chris Doncaster is seen in this photo wearing his Canadian Armed Forces uniform. (Facebook)

CTV News Toronto also confirmed that Doncaster was briefly a member of the Canadian Armed Forces but did not complete basic training.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has said investigators will know more about the circumstances surrounding his death after the autopsy.

SIU INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

The SIU continues to investigate the Tuesday evening shooting inside a home near 25th Side Road and 9th Line in Innisfil.

Initial reports from the SIU said that Northrup and Russell arrived at the home and subsequently became involved in an exchange of gunfire with a male resident armed with a semi-automatic rifle.

However, SIU Spokesperson Kristy Denette told CTV News Toronto on Thursday that the officers did not draw their firearms before they were fatally shot.

She added that a third officer was at the house and was the one who exchanged gunfire with the 23-year-old man before he was pronounced deceased.

Police and SIU investigators gather at the scene where two police officers were killed in Innisfil, Ont., on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

The SIU has assigned six investigators and three forensic investigators to their probe of the shooting.

Denette also told reporters the SIU has not designated any officers as subject officers at this point.

The SIU investigates the conduct of officials that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.

York Regional Police said it has also offered its assistance to South Simcoe Police to investigate the shooting but is awaiting clarification on their role.