Overview

• Const. Sean O’Rourke pleaded not guilty and faces manslaughter charges for the July 2021 shooting of 24-year-old Nicholas Edward Grieves during a pursuit linked to a $40 gas theft on Hwy. 401.
• The Crown argues that drawing his sidearm after exiting the cruiser violated fundamental firearm safety rules and constituted carelessness leading to Grieves’ death.
• Defence counsel maintained that rapid escalation and stressful conditions justified O’Rourke’s drawn weapon and pointed to physical evidence corroborating his account.
• Court heard that Grieves’ Pontiac Sunfire collided with O’Rourke’s unmarked OPP Durango, spun into the center median and that a bullet severed two arteries, causing his death.
• With closing submissions concluded, Justice Bruce Thomas is set to deliver his verdict on whether O’Rourke’s use of force was lawful on June 24, 2025.