There was an "exchange of gunfire" and an officer was shot during the arrest of a man who had been on the run from police for nearly three weeks.
The Ontario Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has invoked its mandate to look into what happened on Night Hawk Lake's Moose Island yesterday (June 12) in Timmins.
The SIU released preliminary information on the case today.
It confirms that on Wednesday the OPP found 43-year-old Lucas MacDonald, who had been the focus of an intensive search since late May.
The SIU says there was an exchange of gunfire that saw five officers discharge their guns. An officer was shot. MacDonald didn't suffer any serious injuries and was arrested.
The SIU is an arms-length agency that investigates police-involved incidents where there has been a death, serious injury, allegations of sexual assault, or the discharge of a firearm at a person.
Four investigators and two forensic investigators are working on the case.
Late yesterday afternoon, OPP said the injured officer had been brought to the hospital and was in stable condition.
Because the SIU is involved, OPP won't release more details on the case. Once the investigation is completed and the SIU director makes a decision based on the evidence, the full report is publicly available.
Yesterday's arrest is the culmination of a manhunt that started on May 23 when the body of Marcel Thoma — who, according to his obituary, was a Master Bombardier with the 2nd Regiment of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Garrison, Petawawa — was found in a wooded area in Egan Township, southwest of Matheson.
The first information released from South Porcupine OPP said it was a suspicious death, with police later saying it was a "firearm-related" murder.
Since the suspicious death news release, MacDonald has been identified as someone who the police want to talk to.
OPP has not formally named MacDonald as a suspect. They have consistently said that he "may have information" about the murder and may have a gun.
For the manhunt, police have used many resources, including canine units, boats, and a helicopter.
Kettle Lakes Provincial Park was closed to campers and day users on June 7 due to the investigation. The Ontario Parks website still has an advisory saying it's temporarily closed.
Throughout the investigation, OPP shared notices about where to expect an increased police presence.
The area of focus was on Highway 101 from Retreat Road in the east end of Timmins to Shillington, and in the Municipal Road area north of Highway 101.
The hub of activity Wednesday was on Retreat Road, which is one of the areas that police have been focusing on for the past week. Moose Island is on the southwest part of Night Hawk, east of the mouth of the Redstone River.
Anyone with information on Wednesday's incident, including video or photos, should contact the SIU lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php.
If you or someone you know is affected by the incident, you can call the affected persons program general referral line at 1-877-641-1897 or learn more about it here.
