The blue-on-blue shooting between two Niagara Regional Police (NRPS) officers took place at noon nearly four years ago – and led to the trial of the officer who was shot. Det.-Sgt. Shane Donovan and Const. Nathan Parker was part of a team investigating a Nov. 29, 2018, crash at the rural intersection of Roland Road and Effingham Road in Pelham, Ont., about 20 kilometers west of Niagara Falls. Donovan led the crash reconstruction unit, and Parker’s job was to direct motorists to an alternate route. In a $2.5 million lawsuit later filed against Parker, the Niagara Regional Police Service and the Niagara Police Board, Donovan said Parker left his post without permission. When Parker returned, the lawsuit alleges, Donovan confronted Parker about leaving his position. This led to an argument in which Donovan shot Parker 10 times in what Donovan said was self-defense. The parked man survived the shooting. Const. Nathan Parker, shot by another Niagara Regional Police officer in Pelham, Ont., in 2018. (Facebook) The Ontario Special Investigations Unit, a police watchdog, initially charged Donovan with attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in connection with the shooting, but the Crown dismissed those charges, saying there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction. Parker was charged with assault with a weapon. His police career includes four disciplinary hearings following complaints from members of the public that he was unnecessarily violent. Three resulted in convictions under the Police Services Act. Parker’s trial began in September 2021, but until late December the charges against him were stayed in light of a provincial police forensic examination that found Donovan may have lied while testifying that he had access to evidence. Donovan’s testimony revealed that he was in possession of a USB stick containing evidence. Donovan received the stick when facing charges. The NRPS said in a news release Wednesday that it has asked the Hamilton Police Service to investigate the perjury allegations “in the interest of conducting an independent and impartial investigation.” Hamilton police spokeswoman Jackie Penman told CBC Hamilton the agency received the search request on February 9, 2022. He added that Donovan was arrested on Tuesday. He was released on conditions and will make his first appearance at Hamilton Stadium on December 12. Joseph Markson, who was Parker’s attorney, declined to comment for the record. Parker, meanwhile, also faces separate charges for a suspected road rage incident in July. Niagara police spokeswoman Stephanie Sabourin told CBC Hamilton Donovan and Parker are still members of the NRPS and “are not currently in the workplace.” Parker is suspended with pay.
