The man at the centre of an Amber Alert and homicide investigation was shot and killed by police in Niagara Falls following an overnight search that spanned multiple jurisdictions.
The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) confirmed that officers were involved in a fatal shooting near the intersection of Thorold Stone Road and Montrose Road early Wednesday morning.
The incident unfolded around 2:30 a.m., when officers located a vehicle containing the suspect at a gas station. Police engaged with the suspect, and following an interaction, the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has now invoked its mandate.
The deceased man has been identified as 38-year-old Anthony Deschepper, who was wanted in connection with a homicide in Brampton area that occurred on Tuesday.
A woman was found shot and later died of her injuries in a parking lot in the Airport Road and Queen Street area. She has not been identified as this point.
Deschepper was also the subject of an Amber Alert issued Tuesday evening for a missing one-year-old girl from Brampton, later confirmed to be the man’s daughter.
The girl was reunited with family members in the Niagara Falls region and is in good health, authorities said.
As part of the search, Niagara police issued a shelter-in-place order in Crystal Beach, Fort Erie, Ont., after evidence linked to the investigation was discovered. That order was later lifted when investigators determined the suspect had fled the area.
Woman in custody, Niagara police say
In an update from investigators on Wednesday morning, NRPS Constable Richard Hingley said a woman — believed to be the driver — was with the suspect in their vehicle at the time of the interaction with responding officers.
Const. Hingley said the female is in custody and charges are pending. Her relationship with the accused is unknown.
SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette said it’s unknown whether the suspect discharged a firearm, but a gun belonging to the accused was located at the scene. One Niagara police officer fired their weapon during the interaction with Deschepper.
The SIU declined to comment on whether a separate weapon was recovered.
The SIU is an independent civilian agency that probes incidents where people died or were seriously injured. Investigators also review incidents where sexual assault has been alleged, or a firearm was discharged at a person.