Body of man found in home where police officer was killed
A body was found inside a home in northern Quebec on Sunday, ending a 17-hour standoff that left one police officer dead and another seriously injured on Saturday night.
The incident started at about 9:30 p.m. ET Saturday, when the Kativik Regional Police Force got a 911 call about a domestic dispute at a home in Kuujjuaq, Que.
When the Kativik officers arrived at the scene and got out of their vehicles, a suspect inside the home started shooting at them, according to Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Ronald McInnis.
Two of the Kativik officers were shot. They were both taken to hospital, where one of them died.
He has been identified as 27-year-old Steve Dery from Orleans, Ont., a suburb of Ottawa.
The injured officer, whose identity has not been released, is in stable condition. "He’s going to be OK," McInnis said.
During the shooting, a woman managed to run out of the house to safety, McInnis said. She was uninjured.
The body of the man inside the home was discovered by police more than 17 hours later at about 2:40 p.m. Sunday, according to Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Daniel Thibodeau.
Police believe the man took his own life, Thibodeau said, and are now investigating to determine whether that's the case.
Officers hadn't been able to make contact with the suspect since late Saturday night. Homes in the area were evacuated while local and provincial police established a perimeter.
Dery's family asked for privacy when reached by phone at their home Sunday afternoon.
His brother, Ben Dery, is an Ottawa firefighter, and the fire department issued a statement Sunday afternoon.
"On behalf of Ottawa Fire Services, I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers of support to firefighter Ben Dery and his family in the loss of Ben's brother Steve," wrote fire Chief John deHooge.
"We also offer our deepest sympathies to the Kativik Regional Police Force in the loss of officer Steve Dery. Today all emergency service responders share in this tragic loss. I would also ask that the media respects the families request for privacy during this difficult time."
A Kuujjuaq resident reached by phone said the village is trying to cope.
"Everybody's in shock and disbelief," said Johnny Adams, a former Kuujjuaq councillor. "We're just praying for the families involved."
The Kativik Regional Police Force was created in 1996 to serve communities in Nunavik, the northern third of the province.
Kuujjuaq is the largest northern village in the region, with a population of about 2,400.
