Police officers, members of the public attend procession for OPP cop shot dead

Dec 30, 2022 | 7:48 AM

TORONTO — Dozens of officers and members of the public are paying tribute to a slain Ontario Provincial Police officer.

A procession carrying 28-year-old Const. Greg Pierzchala’s body started around 9 a.m. and is transporting him from Toronto north to his hometown of Barrie, Ont.

Police officers saluted the officer outside the coroner’s office, where the procession started.

 Members of the public are watching from overpasses along the Highway 400 as the hearse and police cars with flashing lights pass by.

Police say Pierzchala responded to a vehicle in a ditch west of Hagersville, Ont., Tuesday afternoon and was fatally shot in an ambush when he arrived.

The OPP says his funeral will be held in Barrie on Jan. 4, and will announce more details in the coming days.

Randall McKenzie, 25, and Brandi Crystal Lyn Stewart-Sperry, 30, each face a charge of first-degree murder in his death.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2022.

The Canadian Press