Man shot dead in Desbarats after Richard's Landing heist

An unnamed 34-year-old man is dead after he approached a police checkpoint set up in Desbarats following yesterday's robbery at the Northern Credit Union.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has been called in to review the fatality, which occurred after a single shot was fired.

At the time, around 10 p.m., the man was approaching police with a duffle bag.

He'd just been asked to identify himself to police.

Ontario Provincial Police issued a brief statement this morning, indicating that all further inquiries should be directed to the SIU, which is notorious in media circles for the wall of silence in which it surrounds its investigations.

SooToday.com will be advising SIU staff later today that we expect a higher level of timely disclosure on this case than has been typical of unit investigations in the past.

The following is the official OPP statement:

************************** Shooting incident near Bruce Mines

(Desbarats, Ont.) On Thursday March 18, 2004, at approximately 11:30 a.m., officers from the East Algoma Ontario Provincial Police were dispatched to an armed robbery that occurred at the Northern Credit Union in Richard’s Landing, St Joseph’s Island.

A male brandishing a firearm robbed the Credit Union and fled the scene on a motorized snow vehicle.

As a result of this investigation, at approximately 6 p.m. yesterday, OPP officers from East Algoma detachment and the OPP North East Region Emergency Response Team, assisted by the Sault Ste Marie Police Service, Emergency Services Unit, set up a containment area around a residence in the Town of Desbarats (east of Sault Ste Marie) in an attempt to arrest an armed suspect believed to be in the house.

At approximately 10 p.m., a man carrying a duffle bag approached OPP officers assisting in maintaining security at a checkpoint in the area of the house.

When the individual was asked to identify himself by the officers, a shot was fired.

An ambulance, which was on standby at the scene, was summoned and immediately transported the 34-year-old male to Matthews Memorial Hospital in Richard’s Landing where he was pronounced deceased upon arrival.

The Province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has been notified and will be investigating.

Further inquiries should be directed to SIU Communications at (416) 622-2342.

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