Bodies of officers slain in Innisfil taken to Barrie by police procession

The bodies of two South Simcoe police officers slain in the line of duty earlier this week were transported to Barrie Friday morning as the service plans a joint funeral for the pair.

A procession carrying the remains of constables Devon Northrup and Morgan Russell leftthe Officeof the Chief Coroner in downtown Toronto at around 9:30 a.m. ET. It travelled along Keele Street to Highway 401 and then turned west before heading north on Highway 400 to Barrie.

Police cruisers from South Simcoe Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police and York Regional Police were all part of the escort.

Members of the public and other emergency services were encouraged towatch the procession from overpasses along the route.

WATCH | Procession brings slain officers to Barrie:

Police procession for slain Ontario officers

2 years ago

Duration 1:04

The bodies of two South Simcoe police officers who were shot and killed earlier this week were transported to Barrie Friday as the service plans a joint funeral for the pair.

Both officers died in hospital after they were shot while responding to a call at a home in Innisfil, Ont., north of Toronto, on Tuesday night. A 22-year-old man was also killed during an exchange of gunfire with a third officer at the home.

A spokesperson for Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, told CBC News that it appears Northrup and Russell had not drawn their guns when they were shot.

Northrup worked with outreach and mental health teams and Russell was a trained crisis negotiator, according to South Simcoe police.

Ken Scorizzi, a Toronto resident, went out to watch the procession as it left for Barrie. He said he wanted to pay his respects to the officers who died doing their jobs.

"It should never, ever have happened," he told CBC News. "These poor men go out to do a job and they didn't get the chance to go back home to their families."

Alba Garcia said she wanted to say thank you in her own way.

"Thank you and my most deepest condolences to all the police officers, their friends and family. It is very sad. Very sad. It breaks my heart," she said.

An autopsy for the 22-year-old man killed at the scene in Innisfilwasscheduled for this morning.

The Town of Innisfil has invited community members to sign books of condolences set up at town hall for the two officers.