Officers recovering after being shot over the weekend

Two London police officers were treated in hospital, one with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and the other with critical but non-life-threatening injuries, after being shot on Saturday.

According to London Police Service (LPS)  Acting Chief Trish McIntyre, one officer has been released and the other remains in hospital.

"I extend my deepest sympathy to Mr. Cameron's family and friends," McIntyre said during a press conference held Monday morning. 

As CTV News London previously reported, emergency responders were called to 621 Kipps Ln. around 5 a.m. on March 11 for an “unresponsive adult male.”

When officers arrived, they found a man with multiple stab wounds who was pronounced deceased shortly after.

The victim was later identified as Joel Cameron, 41, of London.

Over about 12 hours, police negotiated with a barricaded man, believed to be in possession of a firearm, inside the high-rise apartment building.

Around 7:30 p.m., police say the suspect discharged a firearm at police resulting in the injuries — police did not discharge their firearms during the interaction with the suspect.

A firearm was seized at the scene.

Adrian Neil Campbell has since been charged with second degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Police say the victim and accused were known to each other.

The accused is scheduled to appear in court on March 20. 

A window is seen damaged on the sixth floor of 621 Kipps Lane following a standoff between a man and police on the evening of March 11, 2023. Earlier in the day, multiple police officers attended in the same building where another man died. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

 

McIntyre speaks to the role of social media

 

The role of social media played an important role during Saturday’s standoff, and police said it has forever changed the way they approach situations such as this.

During the standoff, a video was livestreamed on Campbell’s Facebook page at 6:22 a.m., just over an hour before police arrived for the report of a fatal stabbing. Throughout the standoff, Campbell posted photos and videos to Facebook, and even livestreamed as he stepped out onto his balcony.

“Man it's a f***in’ rodeo out there. Usually don't get this kind of response, yo. But, I'm just tellin' you, yo. I told you about this,” he said.

From this point on the posts became more ominous and threatening.

McIntyre said police have two concerns when it comes to social media. The first issue is people posting police activities around a standoff situation.

"Especially in circumstances with armed-and-barricaded information, it is essential that they do not know what the police are doing outside of that room,” she explained.

The other concern involves when other people interact with a person in negotiations with police. At various points, people were responding to the posts on Saturday morning, even posting pictures of the suspect’s young son, and encouraging Campbell to surrender peacefully — these are actions that are discouraged by police.

"If you're a member of the public, do not engage in any dialogue with the suspect in cases like this,” McIntyre said.

Many of the posts voiced concern focusing on mental health.

The last post of the day was time stamped around 4 p.m. and said, “So tough one man squad…wish ‘em luck…they need it."