Death of on-duty OPP officer highlights mental toll on first responders
The death of an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer Monday morning adds to a growing list of Ontario police officers who have died while on-duty in the past few months.
The officer has been identified as 35-year-old Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau, who was killed in a collision between his unmarked police cruiser and a school bus.
A row of nine police officers could be seen standing in the middle of the road near the Oxford County crash site, saluting Tourangeau, who died in the double fatal crash earlier that day.
His death comes less than three weeks after OPP officer Sgt. Eric Mueller was killed in eastern Ontario.
For some, these deaths bring to the forefront the toll tragedies like this have on the mental health of officers.
“A death of one of their own is like a death in the family,” said psychotherapist Michelle Farrow.
Farrow is a registered psychotherapist who works with first responders, and she says when one of their own dies it brings on grief for anyone left behind.
“So that may include feelings of sadness, anger, disbelief, fear, along with the reality of the inherent risks of their job,” Farrow said.
In the face of these risks, Farrow says we're seeing increased reports of occupational stress, depression and anxiety for first responders.
She added that it seems more resources are becoming available.
“I'm finding that a lot of services have an in-house wellness program, as well as peer support programs, there's employee assistance programs that have mental health supports,” Farrow said.
Following Tourangeau’s death, police and first responders around the country shared their condolences online.
“Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of OPP Detective Constable Steven Tourangeau of the Perth County OPP Detachment and the civilian who passed away following a tragic collision earlier today,” Waterloo Regional Police Service said in a tweet.
Tourangeau was with the Perth County OPP detachment and assigned to the Huron-Perth community street crime unit.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.