St. Thomas man arrested, charged in connection with June 2025 and April 2026 shootings

(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne)

A St. Thomas man wanted in connection with a shooting on Emerald Road in London last June has been arrested, according to police.

Denis Lee Churchill was arrested in Vienna late last week by members of the Elgin County OPP, with help from the West Region OPP Emergency Response Team, Tactics and Rescue Unit, Canine Unit and Crisis Negotiators.

Churchill was wanted as part of an investigation into an incident that happened June 13, 2025.

As previously reported, police were called around 2:25 a.m. on June 13 after receiving a report of what was believed to be several gunshots in the area of Emerald and Chelton roads.

Officers later confirmed multiple shots had struck a vehicle and the garage door of a home on Emerald Road.

At the time, police said no one in the area was struck and no injuries were reported.

The charges he is facing are as follows:

• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
• Possess loaded/unloaded regulated firearm
• Discharge a firearm into or at a place in a reckless manner
• Occupy motor vehicle with firearm/etc.
• Possess restricted or prohibited firearm knowingly not holding a licence
• Seven counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order

Churchill has also been charged after shots were fired in London in the Granville Street and Barrington Avenue area last month.

According to police, officers responded to the area around 6:40 p.m. on April 4, and found evidence that a firearm had been discharged.

Investigators believed this was not a random incident.

Charges for the April 4 incident are as follows:

• Discharge firearm with intent to wound/endanger life or prevent arrest
• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
• Possession loaded/unloaded regulated firearm
• Occupy motor vehicle with firearm
• Possess restricted or prohibited firearm knowingly not holding a licence
• Seven counts of possession of firearm or ammunition contrary to prohibition orde
• Breach