WAPEKEKA — The province’s Special Investigations Unit says it doesn’t expect a fire that razed a building in Wapekeka where a man was killed by police last month will impact their investigation into what happened.
The youth centre in the remote First Nation, located about 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, burned to the ground in a fire which started on Aug. 17, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
The centre, which also served as the in-community site for fly-in court, was where 23-year-old Tyresse Roundsky was shot and killed by an OPP officer on July 31 during a court session. The SIU had announced it is investigating the shooting.
“The SIU is aware of the tragic fire at the Wapekeka youth centre, and our thoughts remain with everyone affected,” said a spokesperson for the police oversight body in an email to Newswatch.
“While the fire is unfortunate, we want to assure the community that it will not affect our work,” the statement continued, adding that the investigation into Roundsky’s death is still ongoing. “Our investigative team had already secured all critical evidence in the early days following the incident.”
A provincial police spokesperson confirmed to Newswatch they were notified about the fire around 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 17, and that there were no injuries due to the blaze itself.
Police said they continue to investigate the cause of the fire.
The SIU said its officials “remain committed to conducting a thorough and transparent investigation” into Roundsky's death.
