In Memoriam

Detective Constable Robert Plunkett
York Regional Police
August 2, 2007

In the early morning hours of August 2, 2007, plainclothes surveillance officers were conducting an investigation in the Toronto and Markham areas when they observed two vehicles, a white Honda and a gold Honda, leave a Toronto address. The gold Honda was believed to be stolen however it had not yet been reported. The two vehicles were driven to the area of Ascot Crescent and Harvest Moon Drive in the Town of Markham where they were parked on Ascot Crescent. The driver of the gold Honda was observed opening the driver’s side door and removing the airbag.

At approximately 5 a.m. the surveillance team moved in to arrest the accused. Constable Plunkett moved towards the open driver’s side door of the Honda to arrest the driver. As he tried to arrest the man for theft, the suspect put the vehicle into reverse and accelerated over a curb, across a lawn and over several shrubs. Constable Plunkett was trapped between the open door and the vehicle as the suspect continued to reverse.

Constable Plunkett was pinned between the open driver’s side door and the vehicle as it struck a tree. He was thrown from the vehicle as the suspect continued to reverse across the lawn. Officers assisting rammed the vehicle to stop its progress. The suspect exited the vehicle and attempted to flee the scene but was quickly arrested by one of the surveillance officers. The second suspect who had been driving the white Honda also attempted to flee but was arrested nearby. Constable Plunkett was rushed to Scarborough Grace Hospital where he tragically succumbed to the injuries he sustained as a result of this incident.

During his 22-year career, Detective Constable Plunkett worked in a uniform capacity in Richmond Hill and Markham and he also served for several years as a tactical officer with the York Regional Police Emergency Response Unit. During the 1990s, Rob was the co-coordinator for the York Regional Police Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Special Olympics and in 2000 he acted as the co-chair of the Ontario Special Olympic Spring Games.

Constable William J. Grant
York Regional Police
October 9, 1984

Constable William J. Grant had been a member of York Regional Police for four years when he was killed in the line of duty in 1984.

Just after midnight on October 9th, Constable Grant spotted an automobile ahead of him being driven erratically. He attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver sped away, leading Constable Grant into a high speed pursuit.

The vehicle continued northbound on Kennedy Road and outdistanced Constable Grant’s cruiser. The driver then turned the vehicle around, shut off the headlights, and drove straight at the officer. The ensuing collision caused Constable Grant to suffer massive internal injuries. When radio could not contact him, officers were dispatched to search for him until they discovered the wreck. Constable Grant was dead at the scene, while the driver of the vehicle was found dead in a nearby field after shooting himself with the officer’s revolver. It was discovered that the driver was a nineteen year old man from Thornhill who had stolen his parent’s vehicle after a fight with his girlfriend.

Constable Grant was twenty-six years old when he died in the line of duty, leaving behind his wife Susan and nineteen month old daughter, Lara. His second child, William James Grant, was born two weeks after his death. He is remembered as an exemplary officer who loved his job and a great family man.

Constable Douglas F. Tribbling
York Regional Police Force
August 21, 1984

Constable Douglas F. Tribbling was a thirteen year veteran of York Regional Police Force when he was killed in the line of duty on August 21, 1984.

On the night of August 19, Constable Tribbling responded to a burglar alarm at a Markham computer company. He called for backup when he discovered the door smashed in and proceeded to investigate the premises. When his backup arrived only minutes later, Constable Tribbling was found with multiple gun shot wounds to the chest while his own weapon was still holstered. He was rushed to North York General Hospital in critical condition.

At the same time, York Regional Police and Toronto Police Services launched a joint manhunt of over 100 officers to search for Constable Tribbling’s shooter. The surrounding area was locked down, road blocks were put in place and every car in the areas was stopped and searched. However, officers had a difficult time finding the killer due to a lack of description.

Almost two days later, Constable Tribbling succumbed to his injuries in hospital without regaining consciousness. He was forty-nine years of age at the time, with only two years until retirement. Funeral services were held at Grace Anglican Church in Markham, where over 2000 law enforcement officers from both Canada and the United States attended the ceremony.

Constable Tribbling was admired for being an exemplary officer, quickly advancing to the rank of Detective for his hard work and dedication with York Regional Police.

Constable Gerald F. Mills
Whitchurch Township Police
May 29, 1968

Constable Gerald F. Mills was a member of Whitchurch Township Police for four years before being killed in the line of duty by an out-of-control vehicle.

On May 29th, 1968, Constable Mills was responded to a collision on Woodbine Avenue, just south of the hamlet of Vandorf. Conditions at the scene of the accident were foggy, reducing visibility down the road. After assessing the accident, Constable Mills concluded one of the drivers on scene to be under the influence of alcohol and placed him inside his cruiser. He then took one last survey of the accident when a northbound motorist swerved onto the shoulder to avoid the crash scene and struck Constable Mills. He was taken to York County Hospital where he died soon after.

Constable Mills was survived by his wife and three year old daughter at the time. His funeral was attended by over twenty police forces from the surrounding area and members of the Whitchurch Township Police Department acted as honourary pall bearers.

Constable Edward G. Holdsworth
Whitchurch Township Police
May 15, 1966

Constable Edward G. Holdsworth was twenty-one and engaged to be married when he was killed in the line of duty in 1966.

On May 15th around 1 a.m., Constable Holdsworth responded to a single motor vehicle collision on Woodbine Avenue, just north of the hamlet of Vandorf. The vehicle had inadvertently struck a hydro pole, killing the driver and knocking dangerous high voltage cables to the ground. Unaware of the immediate risk at the scene, Constable Holdsworth approached the vehicle and tripped over one of the electrified wires hidden in the tall grass. He sustained fatal injuries from the encounter and died as a result.

Constable Lewis R. Durant
Markham Township Police
August 18, 1956

Constable Lewis R. Durant had only served with Markham Township Police for eighteen months when he was killed in the line of duty on August 18, 1956.

At approximately 2 a.m., Constable Durant encountered a stationary car on the gravel shoulder of Woodbine Avenue. After parking his cruiser behind the suspicious vehicle, Constable Durant approached the car. While questioning the driver, a southbound vehicle struck Constable Durant, fatally injuring him.

The driver of the southbound vehicle was charged with careless driving resulting in death, but the charges were dropped due to the non-attendance of witnesses and a lack of evidence. Constable Durant was only twenty-two years old when he was killed in the line of duty.

Sergeant Thomas Kirk
York County Police
April 17, 1930

Sergeant Thomas Kirk, a york county Police Officer, was appointed to the York County Police Force in 1920 and was stationed in Newmarket during the 1930's. He was a respected member of the community and friend to all the area's town folk. The following is an account of his death as reported by A. Wallace in The York County Constabulary:

"About two o'clock on the morning of April 17th Kirk, accompanied by Constables W.M. Shadwick and R. Hull, was driving south on Yonge Street. About one mile north of Thornhill his car was sideswiped by a north-bound car and went out of control, going over the radial tracks, stricking a post and turning over several times. The occupants were thrown out. Kirk's body was picked up about sixty-five-feet from the crash with a neck broken and being terribly disfigured. By whim of fortune the only damage to the other car was a flat tire and a smashed rear mudguard."

Sergeant Kirk was laid to rest on the 19th of April 1930. His funeral was one of the most impressive in Newmarket's history. Over one hundred cars formed the funeral cortege. A large number of uniform officers and two hundred members of the Tuscan Masonic Lodge attended the service. Unfortunately Constables Hull and Shadwick were still to badly shaken to attend.

As a direct result of Sergeant Kirk's death, the County Warden and Commissioners reported to the Council that they believed that Constables should be insured under the Workmen's Compensation Board Act or some form of insurance protection. By December of the same year, each Constable was insured for $2000.

Constable William Boyd
York County Police
June 4, 1901

Fifty-four year-old Constable William Boyd had been a member of York County Police for fifteen years before being shot during a prisoner transfer on June 4, 1901.

En route from a local court house to a Toronto Jail, Constable Boyd and two other officers were transferring three gang members of the vicious Chicago Bank Robbers, charged with breaking into the post office at Aurora the previous year.

The horse drawn carriage carrying Boyd, his fellow officers, and their prisoners passed an individual standing on the road. Unknown to the officers, the man was an accomplice of the gang members and threw a hat into the carriage containing three revolvers. A struggle ensued over the weapons until one of the prisoners, Fred Rice, got hold of one of the guns and shot Constable Boyd in the head.

The prisoners fled the carriage but were captured soon after by York County Police officers. Constable Boyd was taken to hospital where he died an hour later of his injuries.

Constable William Boyd left behind a wife, two sons and two daughters when he died in the line of duty on June 4th, 1901. Little else is known about Constable Boyd, except that he operated a general store and post office on Main Street in the Town of Markham during the late 1800’s.

Constable John Fisk
High County Constable King Township
October 7, 1804

Born in Wallingford, Connecticut on September 24, 1752, High Constable John Fisk served as an Ensign in Elmore’s Connecticut Battalion, which supported independence for the American colonies, during the American Revolution.

In 1801, High Constable Fisk, along with his wife and six children, moved from Grand Isle in Lake Champlain, Vermont, settling on a 210 acre farm located on what is now the area of Ransom Drive to Brookland Avenue in the Town of Aurora. 

He was made High Constable of the Home District in 1804, which at the time encompassed the present day counties and regions of York, Durham, Peel, Simcoe and Toronto (then York).

High Constable John Fisk was killed on October 7, 1804, while transporting an Ojibwa Native, charged with the murder of a fur trader, to the new courthouse in Newcastle, Ontario. 

While transporting the offender to the Newcastle courthouse aboard the schooner Speedy, which ran between York (Toronto) to Newcastle, the schooner sank during a sudden storm, taking Constable Fisk, along with other passengers, to their deaths.