Driver of the van that struck, killed York Region officer was 15-year-old boy

NEWMARKET, Ont. – A York Region police officer was dragged 300 metres to his death Tuesday by the 15-year-old driver of a minivan which had been pulled over on a rural highway just before dawn, police say.

York Regional Police chief Eric Jolliffe says Const. Garrett Styles stopped a van carrying four young people at about 5 a.m. on Highway 48 in the town of East Gwillimbury, near Newmarket.

The 32-year-old officer was at the driver’s door when the van accelerated, dragging him nearly a third of a kilometre before rolling over and pinning Styles, Jolliffe said.

Firefighters were able to free the officer from the vehicle but he died about an hour later in hospital.

"A tragedy for us, his family and the community," Jolliffe said at an afternoon news conference.

The teen driver from York Region, who can’t be named because he is underage, is in hospital with serious injuries. The other passengers in the van were also youths and are co-operating with police.

Styles was married with a two-year-old daughter and nine-week-old son. He was to turn 33 on Sunday. His wife Melissa has a civilian job with York Regional Police while his father Gary recently retired after a career with the force.

Jolliffe said Styles had a bright future in policing after he scored 82 per cent on his sergeant’s promotional exam and received three letters of recognition over the course of his career.

"His supervisors spoke of him as a dedicated, professional, hard-working officer who always had time to assist others," said Jolliffe. "He was well-liked among his peers and he loved being a police officer."

Styles’ death comes just a few months after Toronto police Sgt. Ryan Russell was struck and killed by a snowplow allegedly stolen by a drifter. Just last week, a police officer from Peterborough in eastern Ontario was shot and wounded during a drug raid on a suspected crack house in nearby Lindsay, Ont.

"Police officers put their lives on the line each and every day when they leave their families to protect others," said Jolliffe. "Their selfless sacrifice and hard work ensures our communities are safe places to live and raise a family. Every man and woman who answers the call of policing understands that he or she lives facing ever-present uncertainty and risk."

It’s a risk officers accept but it doesn’t make it easier when they lose one of their own, Jolliffe added.

"It is very hard when the risk turns into a loss of life," he said.

The president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said the tragedy puts another spotlight on the nobility of policing.

"Policing is a dangerous job but it’s something that each one of us does because we want to be part of something that’s bigger than ourselves," said police Chief Matt Torigian.

"The nobility of public service, and in particular the nobility of policing, is what brings us to our jobs every day and we don’t lose sight of that."

Other police forces from around North America expressed condolences, Jolliffe said.

"Sadly, at this time, we stand together to share tremendous grief, and are reminded of the dangers we face each day in the performance of our duties," said Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Chris Lewis.

Member of Parliament Julian Fantino, a former York Regional Police chief and provincial police commissioner, also offered his sympathy.

"Knowing that Const. Styles tragically lost his life while serving the citizens of his community reminds us all of the dangers our front-line officers face while protecting the safety of others," he said in a statement.

Premier Dalton McGuinty said he was "deeply saddened" to hear of Styles’ death, and also acknowledged the dangers of policing.

"We ask them to uphold our laws, protect our homes and, if need be, put our safety before theirs," he said. "Our police, and their families, agree to protect us and ours knowing that doing so may mean paying the ultimate sacrifice."

Officers were been seen hugging and crying at the scene of the incident and the flag at the district headquarters where Styles was based is flying at half-mast.

"The police community is a very close-knit family so in this particular case, as in all cases, you reach out to comfort and support one another," said Torigian.

Community members were dropping off flowers in another form of tribute, including 12-year-old Victoria Watson-Setejak, of nearby Aurora, Ont.

"I felt horrible," she said. "The police already do so much for the world and to hear someone passed away doing a good thing makes me feel bad."

Chris Watson, Victoria’s mother, said the city is shaken up by the loss.

Styles joined York Regional Police as a cadet-in-training in December 2003 and became a constable in May 2004.

The last York Regional Police constable to be killed was Det. Const. Robert Plunkett in 2007.

He died when a stolen car driven by Nadeem Jiwa pinned the 42-year-old officer against a tree. Jiwa is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, with the Crown seeking a sentence of 12 to 14 years.