Guelph reporter allegedly detained by OPP at scene of fatal collision

A reporter in Guelph says he was briefly detained and had his camera seized by an OPP officer at the scene of a fatal collision on Wednesday.

Senior reporter for GuelphToday Richard Vivian says that in his 20 years as a journalist, he’s never experienced this kind of encounter with police and believes what happened to him was a “overreach of authority.”

Vivian was covering a collision on the Hanlon Expressway near College Avenue, which had resulted in the death of a 65-year-old Guelph woman.

In an article on GuelphToday’s website, Vivian says he had just arrived and was in the process of taking photos when a police officer asked him to stop.

“He came over and grabbed me by the jacket, my left wrist, so he had control of my left arm. He told me that he (was) seizing my camera,” Vivian said to GuelphToday.

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Vivian tells CHCH News an officer then “said he was seizing the camera, I stopped for a couple of seconds to understand what was going on, but I then relented and I handed over the camera

The article continued by saying the officer allegedly seized Vivian’s camera and detained him for 15 minutes before returning his camera without the SD card, as it was “evidence in their investigation”.

GuelphToday said the SD card has still not been returned and Vivian says he intends to take further action.

“I don’t actually know the ins and outs of this because, again, nobody’s ever heard of the coroner doing this before, so we’re trying to figure out what the proper process for complaint and hopeful changes to the process”

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The OPP responded to the incident in a statement posted to their social media, saying they are aware of the incident and are reviewing the circumstances of the interaction.

“Our role, under the direction of the coroner, is to conduct a complete and through death investigation, while ensuring its integrity.” the statement reads.

“The OPP respects the freedom of the press and values its relationships with the media, while also taking a victim-centered approach during our investigations.”

Statement regarding incident at fatal collision near Guelph. pic.twitter.com/whqmwyYCbB

— Ontario Provincial Police (@OPP_News) December 20, 2023

The Coroner’s Act outlines says officers have the “authority to seize anything the coroner has reasonable grounds to believe is material to the investigation.”

While the Canadian Association of Journalists said the OPP and coroner violated freedom of the press.