By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
CAYUGA—The two suspects charged with first degree murder in the death of OPP Constable Greg Pierzchala appeared briefly before Judge Bruce Phillips via video feed at the Cayuga courthouse last week for bail hearings that were both adjourned to next month.
Defence teams for Randall McKenzie, 25 of Six Nations of the Grand River, and Brandi Stewart-Sperry, 30 of Hamilton, stated that while they have received documents from the Crown prosecutors, they anticipate a second, “substantial” wave in the coming weeks.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique previously commented on the December 27, 2022 shooting, alleging that Pierzchala was “essentially ambushed” by the pair at approximately 2:30 p.m. The two then fled from the scene, allegedly stealing a car from another person who was present at the scene.
McKenzie is being held in custody at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre, while Stewart-Sperry is at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton.
The case has drawn criticism toward the bail system in the province. At the time of the shooting, McKenzie had an active warrant for his arrest after failing to show for a court appearance back in September while on bail with a criminal record that includes violent offences and firearms offences. Stewart-Sperry also had an active arrest warrant in Niagara Region and was listed on the Niagara Regional Police’s website as a wanted fugitive for her failure to comply with a release order from 2020.
Carrique was swift in his criticisms of Ontario’s bail system in the days following Pierzchala’s death. In a press conference he said, “I know there’s a lot of interest to see that changes are made to ensure, where possible, people who are charged with violent offences that are firearms related are not in those positions moving forward.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined the chorus demanding change as well, issuing a statement: “More must be done to fix a system that is far too often sacrificing the safety of our public and police officers instead of cracking down on the perpetrators who repeatedly commit these heinous crimes.”
The incident is a motivating factor behind a letter sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from 13 premiers last week urging him to take a hard look at the country’s bail system. The letter tasks the PM with making bail harder to get in instances where firearms are both loaded and prohibited or restricted.
At just 28 years old, Pierzchala sadly marked the fifth instance of an officer killed in the line of duty in 2022 in Canada, a number Mark Baxter, President of the Police Association of Ontario, called “unprecedented,” and something that has “shaken our profession to the core.”
McKenzie and Stewart-Sperry are next due to appear in court on February 21 for their bail hearings.
