Officer Down

Canon EOS 20D

On May 5, at 2 p.m., Windsor Police Const. John Atkinson, a plainclothesed member of the anti-terrorism section, was shot and killed outside a convenience store at the corner of Seminole Street and Pillette Road in Windsor. He was shot with his badge in his hand upon approaching two 18-year-olds who were involved in a drug deal outside the store, in broad daylight. Shot in the neck and side, he returned fire, but died on the street moments later.

Atkinson is the first member of the Windsor Police Service to be killed on duty in the force's 120-year history.

Within 32 minutes, Windsor Police had apprehended the two suspects. Charged with first degree murder and posession of a narcotic for the purposes of trafficking are Nick Brennan and Cody Defausses. Both of these teenagers are crackheads.

One of them was apprehended about four blocks from my home, which is a couple of kilometres from the scene of the shooting. He apparently ran all the way. The photo is of the police lockdown surrounding the area where the suspect, along with a weapon, were seized.

This is looking east along Ontario Street from the northeast corner of Lincoln Road. Originally, I didn't like this shot, or the series of shot it's from, because of the street sign pole that could not be avoided because of where I was forced to stand by police tape and officers blocking access to the crime scene. Eventually, though, I came to like how the frame was divided by the pole. It's dealing with the situation as it was presented to me; as I was allowed to shoot it.

The Constable in the photo, a senior member of the force, looked beat tired and numb.

I'd like to acknowledge my former colleagues at The Windsor Star--some of the hardest-working and most underappreciated journalists around. They've done a trememdous job covering the story. Jason Kryk's photography, in particular.