Tecumseh man shot by OPP had 'unexpected strength,' says officer

The Tecumseh man who was killed by police in 2019 showed aggressive behaviour and "unexpected strength" while fighting with OPP officers before he was shot.

"It was a melee," said Sgt. Chris Truppe — one of five Tecumseh OPP officers at the scene involving 48-year-old Derek Teskey on the night of June 14, 2019.

Truppe was the second witness in an ongoing Coroner's inquest into Teskey's death.

He described a physical struggle that resulted in Teskey and multiple officers sliding down a short staircase "like a surf board."

"I observed Mr. Teskey tossing around other officers," Truppe told the hearing, which is being held virtually.

"At a point, you could say we were fearing for our lives."

Derek Teskey was shot at his mother's home in Estate Park in Tecumseh on June 14, 2019. (Officer of the Chief Coroner of Ontario)

Police were initially called to the home of Teskey's mother on Estate Park in Tecumseh due to Teskey acting in an enraged manner and threatening self-harm.

The inquest heard that Truppe — who has formal training in crisis negotiations — was tasked with trying to communicate with Teskey.

Teskey was in the home's bathroom, armed with a steak knife and a pair of scissors. When Teskey stopped talking and closed the bathroom door, the officers feared he was going to kill himself.

A choice was made to enter the bathroom.

"At that moment in time, I believe we had a duty to preserve life," Truppe told the inquest. "I stand by our decision to open that door."

Teskey reacted angrily and advanced on the officers with weapons in hand. The altercation ensued, ending with Sgt. Trevor Davies firing a single shot into Teskey's right chest.

A view of the bathroom inside the Tecumseh home of Derek Teskey's mother, where Teskey fought with OPP officers on June 14, 2019. (Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario)

The inquest also heard from Const. Alan Chronopoulos — the OPP officer who suffered a deep stab wound to his forearm in the altercation with Teskey.

Chronopoulos said his injury required hospital treatment and kept him off work for about three months, but he suffered no lasting effects and has recovered completely.

"I can't think of anything else that we could have done," Chronopoulos told the inquest.

Multiple Taser shocks were ineffective against Teskey.

The confined space where the fight happened meant that pepper spray would have affected the officers present as badly as Teskey, Chronopoulos said.

It's unlikely that usage of collapsible batons to strike Teskey — an attempt to gain compliance through pain — would have stopped him from cutting himself.

Another view of the staircase inside the Tecumseh home of Derek Teskey's mother, where Teskey fought with OPP officers before he was fatally shot on June 14, 2019. (Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario)

Chronopoulos is a member of Essex County OPP's Emergency Response Team (ERT) — specially trained and equipped officers.

ERT members have access to a firearm known as an ARWEN: Anti Riot Weapon ENfield, which can be loaded with gas dispensing rounds or "less-lethal" foam-tipped projectiles.

But Chronopoulos said the ARWEN is typically used at a longer range. Teskey was at point-blank range, when ARWEN projectiles would have been "almost certainly fatal," Chronopoulos said.

This is the photo in the SIU report of an ARWEN (Anti Riot Weapon ENfield). An Ottawa police officer shot this at a 24-year-old man while trying to arrest him on Aug. 1, 2023. (Special Investigations Unit)

ERT members also have access to plastic shields. However, Chronopoulos said officers are only trained to use them for "public order" or crowd control situations.

Essex County OPP very recently acquired heavier ballistic shields, but Chronopoulos said he's not sure if use of one would have changed the outcome with Teskey.

"Mr. Teskey was motivated to harm himself," Chronopoulos told the inquest.

The inquest reconvenes on Wednesday for its final two witnesses.

The Coroners Act of Ontario mandates an inquest when use of force by police results in death.

The inquest has a jury of five community members. The purpose of the inquest is to come up with recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.

In 2020, following an examination of the incident, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit cleared Tecumseh OPP of wrongdoing and found no grounds for criminal charges against Davies.