Officials announced the withdrawal of criminal charges against three Ontario Provincial Police officers involved in the death of a one-year-old child in the Kawartha Lakes area in 2020

Judge Paul Belfontaine announced in court yesterday, Monday, the withdrawal of charges against police officers Nathan Vanderheyden, Kenneth Pingili, and Grayson Kapos.

The three officers previously faced one charge related to manslaughter, grievous bodily harm, and reckless discharge of a firearm concerning the death of 18-month-old child Jameson Shapiro.

On November 26, 2020, Jameson was shot dead by police during a car chase between the officers and his 33-year-old father. Earlier that day, police reported that Jameson's father had abducted the child, according to the Ontario Special Investigations Unit, an independent agency investigating police interactions that result in serious injury, death, or allegations of sexual assault.

Jameson also died at the scene, while his father died of his injuries in the hospital nearly a week later.

The Ontario Provincial Police Association said in a statement that the withdrawal of charges represents a "just outcome" in a case that was tragic for everyone.

For his part, the association president, John Serasolu, said in a statement: "When an incident like this occurs, it affects families, the community, and the entire police community."

He added: "While police officers protect public safety in highly volatile and fast-moving situations, unexpected outcomes may occur."

He pointed out that the association stated from the beginning "that the officers involved acted professionally and courageously, and that it is confident that the officers would not face criminal liability with the referral of the case to the courts."

He continued: "In this case, it was decided that, on the balance of evidence, there is no reasonable prospect of conviction.. Our officers were doing their job according to their training