Ontario gunsmith shot and killed by police

[Badenoch]

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...rea-beach-town
What the heck happened?
Toronto police drive all the way to Norfork County to do a firearms check. But the local opp where not involved with the warrant ,he worked on the local Opp guns it says so obviously a connection with law enforcement. The guy was 70 with a customer and it looks to be that his wife was home at the time as well. What they kick the door down and Rodger is with a customer and he takes four rounds in the chest because he is a gunsmith in the presence of guns. If this thing doesn't look suspicious I don't know what does.

If armed men claiming to be "Toronto Police" showed up at my rural home well outside of Toronto I'd be very suspicious they were actually police. If OPP vehicles showed up with them I'd know they were legit. Why the OPP weren't notified and accompanying an out of town force executing a search warrant will be an important piece of the puzzle.

[diverduck]

Fortunately there’s a couple of witnesses.

[vom Dufenshmirtz]

If armed men claiming to be "Toronto Police" showed up at my rural home well outside of Toronto I'd be very suspicious they were actually police. If OPP vehicles showed up with them I'd know they were legit. Why the OPP weren't notified and accompanying an out of town force executing a search warrant will be an important piece of the puzzle.

Legitimate concern, moreover, you may recall the mass murderer on the east cost dressed in police uniform and driving a retired cruiser.
I guess the only safe way, however paranoid it sounds is to call 911 and ask them to confirm. OTOH, if you see multiple vehicles and multiple uniformed officers, it's probably legit. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[Bushmoose]

If armed men claiming to be "Toronto Police" showed up at my rural home well outside of Toronto I'd be very suspicious they were actually police. If OPP vehicles showed up with them I'd know they were legit. Why the OPP weren't notified and accompanying an out of town force executing a search warrant will be an important piece of the puzzle.

You probably wouldn't have time to be suspicious if they crashed through the door? I'm glad there is a witness who can relate his version of events of how it all went down. My knee jerk theory is the man was holding a gun at the very moment police entered the room? Oh boy, what a can of worms.

[trky chsr]

Copied from IPSC Ontario web site:

This is from one of Rodger's close friends..


“My friend was murdered on Nov 3rd.

This was my friend. He was 100% Legal in every aspect of the gunsmith firearms business. He stored everything properly. Norfolk County OPP were NOT even involved in this. This was Metro Toronto Police that decided to serve a search warrant. They came up to the house while Rodgers wife was unloading groceries from the car. They took her down to the ground by force with automatic rifles. They then proceeded to the garage where Rodger was sitting at his bench working on a gun. At this time a customer was with him seated a few feet away. The Toronto Police burst though the door shooting Rodger once in the neck and three times to the chest. He was dead for no reason. If you knew Rodger you know he was a calm person who could talk to anyone with common sense. He was a renowned Gunsmith who was known to be able to fix the unfixable. Norfolk police(OPP) knew him well and were some of his best customers for their own firearms. He was also on first name basis with the RCMP and OPP in Orillia (Where the CFO is.) If the Toronto police had notified the OPP, they would had gone with them and this would never have happened."

I knew Rodger as well and the man didn't have an aggressive bone in his body. Very soft spoken (although very long spoken, never go there in a hurry!). There is absolutely no way I can see him acting in an aggressive or threatening manner. I just hope the truth comes out. There are two sides to a story of course (a judge had to issue the warrant) and I just hope we hear the true story. TC

[js4fn]

You probably wouldn't have time to be suspicious if they crashed through the door? I'm glad there is a witness who can relate his version of events of how it all went down. My knee jerk theory is the man was holding a gun at the very moment police entered the room? Oh boy, what a can of worms.

So go to gunsmith he likely will be working on a gun
Go to a butcher he’ll likely be working with a knife cop going to shoot butcher down too ?
Sure is a can of worms

Think cops would have enough gang bangers to gun down but that be racist

[Brampton Mike]

wow so sad yet so suspicious!

[fishfood]

It must be the new normal.

This cop was fired from a traffic stop just down the Rd from me after he pulled his gun out.



https://beta.ctvnews.ca/local/toront...1_5647350.html



Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

[410001661]

This is very sad indeed. Roger did work on my turkey gun and some trigger work on some of my clays guns in the past. He was always professional, kind and polite in my dealings with him.

[trimmer21]

I'd be interested see what's in the ITO that compelled a JP or Judge to sign the warrant. This stuff just doesn't come out of the blue and JP's or Judges just don't give out warrants for shytes and giggles. One thing must be abundantly clear to every level of command and every politician in the Justice Ministry and Ontario Attorney General that's every "i" be dotted and every "t" be crossed properly after someone loses their life. If not or if there's political interference at any level,first degree murder warrants will fall like snowflakes.