IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: A version of this story originally appeared yesterday on ThoroldToday.
The woman accused of killing an OPP officer earlier this week is a former Thorold resident who had a warrant out for her arrest at the time of the fatal shooting.
Brandi Stewart-Sperry, 30 — one of two suspects charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Constable Grzegorz Pierzchala — is still wanted by Niagara Regional Police for failing to comply with a release order back in 2020.
Her name, mug shot and home city — Thorold — are listed on "Niagara's Wanted," a section of the police service’s website that seeks the public’s help in locating fugitives.
Stewart-Sperry’s photo was added to the website in May 2020, but a spokesman for the Niagara Regional Police Service confirmed to ThoroldToday that “the arrest warrant remains active.”
“Generally speaking, despite a person being in custody elsewhere, they remain wanted in the jurisdiction where a warrant exists until that warrant is officially executed by the issuing agency,” said Constable Philip Gavin.
Gavin said he could not disclose further details about the release order that Stewart-Sperry allegedly breached in 2020. He also declined to provide her one-time address.
“She formally resided in Thorold,” he said, in an emailed statement.
Const. Pierzchala, 28, was shot Tuesday afternoon while responding to a call for a vehicle stuck in a ditch just west of Hagersville, Ont. Stewart-Sperry and her co-accused, 25-year-old Randall McKenzie, were arrested later that night and charged with one count each of first-degree murder.
Police say Stewart-Sperry was most recently living in Hamilton. McKenzie is from the Onondaga First Nations of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique told reporters that in 2018, McKenzie was prohibited for life from possessing any firearms. But in 2021, McKenzie was charged with numerous weapons-related offences, including carrying a handgun with a defaced serial number and assaulting a peace officer.
Court documents show he was denied bail in December 2021 while awaiting trial in Hamilton. But after that decision was reviewed, McKenzie was granted bail in June 2022 under strict conditions, including that he wear a GPS monitor, report to police twice a week, live with a surety, and not possess any weapons.
When he failed to show up for a court date in August, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Carrique said he was “outraged” that McKenzie had been out on bail before he allegedly killed Pierzchala.
“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,” he said during a news conference.
On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Carrique’s comments were the latest plea for the federal government to address what he called the revolving door of violent criminals caused by "the failed bail system."
“Too many innocent people have lost their lives at the hands of dangerous criminals who should have been behind bars — not on our streets,” Ford said in a statement.
“Enough is enough. 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.”
With files from The Canadian Press
