Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), has launched an inquiry following a tragic incident where an officer fatally shot a man in a courtroom in Wapekeka First Nation, a remote location in northern Ontario, on Thursday. The SIU confirmed that a team of investigators was dispatched to the scene, although further details about the incident were not expected to be released until Friday.

According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the shooting occurred around noon when an officer from the Sioux Lookout detachment confronted an “individual armed with a knife” inside the Wapekeka First Nation. OPP reported that the armed individual was pronounced deceased at the scene, but no specifics regarding the location of the incident within the community were provided.

Lawyer Karen Seeley, who is based at a law firm in Dryden, Ontario, revealed that she learned about the shooting from colleagues who were present during the incident. Seeley described the setting as a makeshift courtroom located within a community centre. Witnesses reportedly stated that a person entered the courtroom and brandished what appeared to be a knife before the officer discharged their weapon.

“It was shocking,” said Seeley, who has practiced law in northern Ontario for many years. “Nothing like this has ever happened… to my knowledge.” She emphasized that both her colleagues and the local community are left shaken by the events that transpired.

The courthouse in Wapekeka is identified on its website as a fly-in location, offering a limited range of court services on specific dates. Due to its remote nature, the facility is notably lacking in security measures; Seeley further pointed out that such courthouses, like many others in the northern regions of Ontario, do not feature metal detectors for security screening purposes.

The incident raises significant concerns about courtroom safety in rural and remote areas, particularly where armed confrontations can occur without adequate warning or preventative measures. As the SIU continues its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the community of Wapekeka First Nation is left to grapple with the aftermath of this violent event.