NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE
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Detectives from the 1 District (St. Catharines) detective office along with the Special Investigations Services Unit (SIS) have continued to investigate the shooting incident that occurred in downtown St. Catharines on September 29th, 2019, that resulted in six persons being shot.
A six-month investigation into this incident has now concluded with further arrests and charges filed.
With the assistance of the Niagara Regional Police Emergency Task Unit (ETU) and Hamilton Police Emergency Response Unit, multiple search warrants were executed on March 30 and April 2, 2020. As a result, four additional individuals were arrested for their alleged involvement in the shooting and/or alleged criminal acts discovered throughout the investigation.
The most recent arrests include:
Forty-two-year-old Dalton Meikle of Thorold, facing the following alleged charges:
• Accessory after the fact, s. 463 (b) Criminal Code of Canada
• Accessory after the fact to commit indictable offence s. 463(B) Criminal Code of Canada
• Possession Schedule I Substance for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl) s. 5(2) CDSA
• Possession Schedule I Substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine) s. 5(2) CDSA
• Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000 s. 355(B) Criminal Code of Canada
• Careless storage of ammunition s. 86(1) Criminal Code of Canada
• Possession Schedule I Substance for the purpose of trafficking (methamphetamine) s. 5(2) CDSA
Twenty-six-year-old Cheniece Batticks of Thorold, facing the following alleged charges:
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl) - s. 5(2) CDSA
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine) - s. 5(2) CDSA
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (crystal methamphetamine) - s. 5(2) CDSA
Thirty-year-old Jayson Hypolite of Stoney Creek, facing the following alleged charges:
• Counselling to commit, s. 129(a) Criminal Code of Canada
• Accessory after the fact, s. 463(b) Criminal Code of Canada
Twenty-nine-year-old Rhiannon Blackie of Stoney Creek, facing the following alleged charges:
• Obstruction of a peace officer, s. 129(a) Criminal Code of Canada
Meikle, Batticks, Hypolite and Blackie were all held in custody prior to bail hearings.
Persons previously arrested include:
Thirty-two-year-old Saeed Savalanpour of Richmond Hill, 34-year-old Shane Tyrell of Scarborough, 28-year-old Shamaree Wilson of Richmond Hill, 29-year-old Jamar Stephens of Scarborough, and 26-year-old Kaitlan Miller of Scarborough.
Investigators would like to thank the public and the media for their cooperation and support over the course of this investigation.
Investigators would also like to thank the York Regional Police Service, Toronto Police Service and Hamilton Police for their assistance throughout this investigation.
Niagara Regional Police Chief Bryan MacCulloch states: “The conclusion of this investigation highlights the dedication and persistence of our investigators who worked to ensure the safety of our community. As stated following this incident, violent acts such as this will not be tolerated in our community. I am so very proud of the tireless efforts of our officers to investigate this senseless act of violence.”
The investigation resulted in a total of nine arrests and 97 criminal code charges have been laid.
As the matter is now before the courts, no further information will be released to protect the integrity of the judicial process.
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