OPP officer charged with attempted murder

OPP News Release

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Orillia – An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer has been charged following the investigation into a fire that occurred at a Timmins, Ontario residence.

At approximately 9:00 pm on February 25, 2009 the Timmins Fire Department responded to a residential fire on Kellyann Drive in Timmins. The lone female occupant escaped unharmed. The residence sustained extensive damage.

On March 13, 2009, as a result of a joint investigation by the Timmins Police Service and the OPP, Detective Constable Cecile Fournel, age 52, was arrested and has been charged with Attempted Murder, Arson-Disregard for Human Life and Adminisitering a Noxious Thing. She has been remanded into custody and will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Timmins on Monday March 16, 2009.

The charged OPP officer and the female occupant of the residence are known to each other outside of the officer’s capacity and duties as a police officer. The Timmins Police Service and the OPP want to assure the public that this was an isolated incident and there are no public safety concerns.

Detective Constable Fournel is a 10 year member of the OPP who is stationed at South Procupine Detachment and assigned to the Northeast Region Crime Unit. Detective Constable Fournel has been suspended from duty.

The investigation under the direction of Detective Inspector Randy Millar of OPP Criminal Investigation Branch is ongoing. A parellel investigation by the Office of the Fire Marshall is also ongoing.

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