CAYUGA, Ont. — A trial began Thursday for two people accused in the death of a provincial police officer in 2022, with the Crown saying witnesses will testify that one of the accused fatally shot the officer before both suspects fled in a stolen vehicle, prompting a police hunt.
Ontario Provincial Police Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala was shot on Dec. 27, 2022 while responding to a vehicle in a ditch west of Hagersville, Ont., near Brantford.
Police said at the time that Pierzchala was killed the same day he learned he had passed his 10-month probation period with the OPP.
Randall McKenzie and Brandi Stewart-Sperry were each charged with first-degree murder in the 28-year-old officer's death. Both of the accused have pleaded not guilty.
In the jury trial taking place in Cayuga, Ont., a community near Hagersville, the Crown is looking to prove that McKenzie was the shooter, and that Stewart-Sperry intentionally helped him.
Prosecutor Fraser McCracken said in his opening statement that Pierzchala was responding to a call about a car in a ditch, a common report the OPP receives in the winter.
"As I'm sure you can imagine, this is a routine call," McCracken said.
Pierzchala's body-worn camera shows the moments leading up to and including his death, he said.
In the footage, Pierzchala can be heard advising the suspects that the camera is recording, McCracken said, adding that it will be played in court later in the trial.
"You will see him exiting the cruiser, notepad in hand," McCracken told the jury. "As he dies, the footage shows two people walking away from him."
McCracken said an autopsy showed Pierzchala was shot six times.
He said he expects jurors to hear a witness allege that McKenzie demanded the keys to her car after the shooting, and that both suspects subsequently drove off in it.
McCracken said he also expects witnesses will tell the court that the allegedly stolen car sped away from the scene, leaving Pierzchala on the road.
An officer is also expected to testify about the search for the suspects using a helicopter's thermal imaging technology, he said, before both were taken into custody.
Other witnesses expected to testify include McKenzie's brother, officers involved in the investigation and forensic experts who will speak to the evidence.
Following the Crown's opening statement on Thursday, court began hearing testimony from witnesses who stopped at the side of the road to help after spotting the car in the ditch.
Witness testimony is expected to continue Friday.
The trial is expected to last for six weeks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2025.
Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press
