A man was found shot dead in southwestern Ontario early Monday after police say he exchanged gunfire with officers and rammed their cruisers with a tractor.
Ontario Provincial Police said members of its Grey County detachment were called to a home in Holland Centre, about 25 kilometres south of Owen Sound, around 2:30 a.m. for reports of a man on a tractor shooting out the windows of a home.
When officers arrived at the house, on West Back Line near Sideroad 80, the man used the tractor to ram their cruisers and shot at them, the OPP said in a statement.
Police returned fire, and officers found the man dead at the scene at around 6 a.m.
Witnesses who drove past the scene in the morning reported that it appeared the police cruiser was shoved into a ditch by the tractor. None of the officers were injured during the incident.
In a statement, the province’s Special Investigations Unit said the man had been fatally shot and SIU spokeswoman Monica Hudon confirmed that its investigation suggests it was a police bullet that killed the man.
The SIU is an independent agency that investigates all incidents involving police that result in death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
Police are not releasing the name of the deceased until next of kin has been notified.
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