A second man has been charged in a stabbing death that led to an armed standoff at a London apartment building now being investigated by the province’s police watchdog.
Devon Ferguson-Feit, 28, of London is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Joel Cameron, 41, of London, London police said Tuesday.
Police officers went to an apartment at 621 Kipps Lane at about 5 a.m. Saturday to investigate a report of an unresponsive man. Cameron was found with multiple stab wounds on the eighth floor and pronounced dead.
A suspect barricaded himself in his sixth-floor unit, leading to a 12-hour standoff during which two police officers were hit with a single shot from a long gun about 7:30 p.m. A suspect was arrested an hour later.
A police source said the injured officers, both emergency response unit members, were hit by a shotgun blast.
Adrian Campbell, 42, of London is charged with second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
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The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) initially said Monday it wasn’t probing the case, but the watchdog said Tuesday it had started an investigation.
Campbell, who had been taken to a police cell, was taken to hospital Sunday, diagnosed with a serious injury and released, the SIU said.
The watchdog, which offered no details of Campbell’s injury, said it has assigned three investigators to the case.
The SIU is a civilian agency that probes cases of serious injuries, death, police gunfire and allegations of sexual assault involving officers.
A London police spokesperson confirmed the SIU is investigating after Campbell complained of pain and was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Campbell appeared in court by phone from hospital Sunday. He was remanded into custody until his next appearance March 20 and ordered not to contact three people.
Ferguson-Feit made a brief first court appearance by video link Tuesday afternoon. Wearing a red hoodie with an insignia on the front, he stood in front of the camera during the appearance and met briefly off screen with his defence lawyer Rob Kitto.
A publication ban covering any information about the case was ordered by justice of the peace Robert Seneshen.
Ferguson-Feit was ordered not to communicate with a list of people. Seneshen asked Ferguson-Feit if he understood.
“Yes, I understand that,” he said.
Kitto said he expects more information from the Crown and asked that Ferguson-Feit’s next video court appearance be set for March 22.
Cameron, who worked as a plumber and had a grown son, is the city’s first homicide victim of the year. Last year, there were six homicides and investigators laid charges in all of the cases.
Medallion, the Toronto-based company that owns the Kipps Lane building, expressed condolences to Cameron’s family and applauded police for their handling of the situation.
“We wish to recognize and thank London Police Services for their professionalism; we wish the injured officers a speedy recovery,” George Espinola, director of residential management, said in a statement Tuesday.
With files from Jane Sims, The London Free Press
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