Const. Greg Pierchala enjoyed the outdoors, was an appreciator of art, excelled at his job as a rookie police officer, and above all, loved protecting his family and the communities he served.
Loved ones, friends and fellow officers gathered Wednesday for the funeral of the Ontario Provincial Police officer who was killed in an ambush shooting last week, remembering the 28-year-old as “humble, generous, funny and competent.”
Justina Pierchala said her older brother took his job of looking after her very seriously.
“He always made sure I was in a good place, both mentally and physically, and always checked to make sure I was headed in the right direction … Greg was so much more than just a police officer,” she said.
“Greg died a hero and lived an inspiration.”
Greg Pierchala was attacked while responding to a call about a vehicle in a ditch west of Hagersville, Ont., police said. Two people have been charged with first-degree murder.
Police said Piertzhala had been a provincial officer for just over a year and had been notified hours before his death that he had passed his 10-month probationary period. He was also previously a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and a police officer in the provincial legislature.
Pierzchala dreamed of joining the police as a boy and his colleagues remember him as a wonderful officer with a big heart of gold.
His brother, Michal Pierczala, remembers the officer as a man of exacting standards who also recognized when a person had done something right.
“I think what really set him apart from others was his high standards for everything in his life,” he said.
“He made you want to be a better person. He made you want to make your life better, and I can’t think of a better influence anyone could have than that.”
Pallbearers carry the casket of OPP Const. Grzegorz (Greg) Pierzchala after his funeral at Sadlon Arena in Barrie, Ontario, Wednesday, January 4, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
The officer’s family said Greg Piertzhala loved martial arts, loved nature, was an avid reader and could stare at paintings in a museum for hours. His colleagues said the young man enjoyed serving his community.
A procession held before Pierchala’s private funeral in Barrie, Ont., saw a police motorcade make its way through the city’s streets as several members of the public looked on.
Inside the Sadlon Arena, officials were asked to remove their hats as Pierchala’s casket was carried to the front of the venue.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who joined hundreds of officers in attendance at the officer’s hometown arena, said the officer’s death underscored the difficulties of the job.
“This brave young man died just two days after Christmas,” Ford said at the start of the ceremony. “It’s another tough reminder that the job of a police officer is one of total dedication.”
Ford told the agency that Pierchala’s death was a “painful reminder that police work is a family calling.”
“The people he truly served will never forget your sacrifice,” Ford told the officer’s family. “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your son and your brother with us.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks during the funeral service for OPP Const. Grzegorz (Greg) Pierzchala in Barrie, Ontario, Wednesday, January 4, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
The provincial police commissioner became emotional during Wednesday’s funeral as he recalled how often he had heard inspirational stories about Pierchala.
Thomas Carrick said Pierzchala was “exceptional” and “the complete package”.
“I’m really humbled to have shared the same uniform as Greg,” he said.
Court documents show that 25-year-old Randall McKenzie — one of two accused in Piertzhall’s attack — was denied bail in an unrelated case involving a number of assault and weapons charges months before the shooting, but was released after a review. A warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to appear at an August court date, documents show.
Pierchala’s brother said his brother was aware of the risks of the job but chose to serve anyway. He also said his brother, who visits the family home every week, will always try to say a proper goodbye to his loved ones when he leaves.
Grzegorz Pierzchala, an Ontario Provincial Police officer who was shot on December 27, 2022, is pictured (OPP).
Michal Pierchala said the words of one of his brother’s favorite authors, Charles Dickens, were appropriate for the funeral.
“I see a beautiful city and a shining people rising from this abyss,” he read. “I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous, and happy…. It is a much, much better thing that I am doing than I ever did; this is a much, much better vacation that I’ve ever known.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on January 4, 2023.
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