Crown suggests officer’s stumble explanation in fatal shooting is a ‘fabrication’
A Crown attorney has accused Const. Sean O’Rourke, an OPP officer facing a manslaughter charge, of fabricating his version of events leading up to the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Nicholas Grieves nearly four years ago. O’Rourke denied the allegation in court on Friday as he continued to plead not guilty to the charge.
According to O’Rourke’s testimony, the incident occurred in the early hours of July 7, 2021, after Grieves and two others had stolen $40 worth of gas from a gas station in Dutton, Ont. O’Rourke and another officer attempted to perform a tandem stop of the car on Highway 401, but Grieves allegedly rammed his vehicle into theirs, causing the car to spin out of control and land in a ditch.
O’Rourke claimed that he approached the car with his gun drawn due to the violent impact of the collision and Grieves’ behavior, which he perceived as threatening. He described stumbling and falling into the car, with his gun inches from Grieves in the front seat. O’Rourke testified that the gun discharged, but he was unsure of how it happened, maintaining that his fingers were on the slide of the gun at the time.
However, Crown attorney Jason Nicol challenged O’Rourke’s account, suggesting that the stumble theory was a fabrication to cover up the officer’s carelessness in pointing his gun at the occupants of the car. O’Rourke vehemently denied this accusation, maintaining the validity of his version of events.
During the trial, Nicol also highlighted O’Rourke’s failure to address a broken radio and call for backup despite expressing concerns for his safety. The court heard from other OPP officers, including Sgt. Bradley Cooke and a firearm expert, who confirmed the functionality of O’Rourke’s gun.
The trial proceedings on Friday lasted just over two hours, with the case set to reconvene on Tuesday for further deliberation. The contentious testimony and conflicting narratives underscore the complexity of the case and the challenges in determining the truth behind the tragic shooting incident.
