Service held in Haldimand County to mourn Const. Pierzchala

A service was held in Haldimand County to give community members there a chance to pay their respects to Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala.

READ MORE: Hundreds in attendance for Const. Pierzchala’s funeral in Barrie

People in Haldimand County were invited to come together to watch the funeral at the Caledonia Lions Hall. Community members, local elected officials, and first responders were there. George Santos, in attendance, tells CHCH News he was there “to show our support to our local police, and our community, and to know its a senseless death.”

Officer Pierzchala was with the local OPP detachment in Haldimand County when he was killed.

As people entered the service, a book of condolences was available today for those wishing to express their sorrow.

READ MORE: Officer Pierzchala remembered as a kind, gentle man

A Haldimand County paramedic says he came to the service to honour Pierzchala and show support to first responders, “it’s a hard thing to deal with, whether you’re a first responder, family, and friends, or a civilian of Haldimand.”

A former OPP officer says Pierzchala’s death hit him hard, “this is the youngest of the OPP that I’ve ever seen anything like this happen to, it’s the worst thing that could happened to a family, and one of the greatest kids with all kinds of potential in this world to do what he could do, and what he has done already.”

Deputy mayor of Haldimand County, John Metcalf says it’s important that the community Pierzchala worked in came out to pay their respects. “It’s a very small detachment, and the brotherhood and sisterhood of policing runs very deep, and it’s important to Haldimand County to recognize that,” Metcalf said.

The book of condolences will remain available at the Haldimand County administration building in Cayuga until Friday. It will then be shared with Pierzchalas’s family.