Lawrence “Larry” Pearce
Served 1960-1983
Larry Pearce was a very personable young policeman and he was able to make friends with everyone. He is shown here (right) as a young Constable marching out on foot patrol with his co-workers in a Spectator article in 1962.
Retired Superintendent Phil Slack remembers that Constable Larry Pearce was working night shift in May 1963, assigned to foot patrol in the downtown core. He came across a vagrant with alcohol and arrested him. At that time police were not equipped with portable radios.
Since he was only a few blocks from the Police Headquarters, he decided to walk the prisoner back to the station, as the person did not appear to be a risk.
One block from the police station they were standing at the corner of King William and Catherine Streets waiting for the light to change. When it was safe to proceed, Larry stepped from the curb took a couple of steps and noticed that his prisoner was not beside him. He turned to look at him, only to find the prisoner had pulled a sawed of shotgun from under his coat and immediately fired at point blank range and shot Larry in the abdomen. As Larry fell to the ground in the intersection, the suspect fled north on Catherine St.
A police cadet (Ron Johnstone) in the police station about fifty yards away, heard gunshots. He rushed outside and found Constable Pearce on the ground severely injured. Larry’s revolver was found several yards down the street. When asked how his gun got there, Larry said he unloaded all his rounds as he tried to stop the suspect and when he didn’t hit him, he was so mad he threw his empty gun at him. Those that knew Larry could certainly understand that.
The police learned that the suspect may have jumped a freight train out of Hamilton. Officers boarded the train and located him there. The accused was John Frederick McDonald.
According to an account published by Ann Burke, when McDonald’ picture was published nation-wide after the shooting, a news reporter in New Market, Ontario recognized him as a man who used a different name and lived in the area of the kidnapping in 1962. She notified the Ontario Provincial Police, (O.P.P.) It turned out that the suspect was a convicted sex offender who had kidnapped a ten-year old girl in Beeton, Ontario and murdered her on August 19, 1962. The victim was Thomasena (Tommy) Baker. Her disappearance had been a major criminal investigation and media event of course, with volunteers and police searching everywhere for months.
The O.P.P. initially interviewed McDonald several times without success. They even got him transferred up to New Market to continue their investigation. They did learn that a Hamilton Police Detective, Ernie Smedley had significant previous involvement with the suspect. He trusted that Detective, so they brought Ernie up to New Market to conduct an interview. In a short period of time McDonald admitted to that he was responsible for Tommy’s abduction and murder.
He led Ernie Smedley and the O.P.P. Investigators to her buried remains. He also admitted that is why he shot Constable Pearce. He believed the police knew he was the person responsible for the abduction of Thomasena Baker and would be arrested once he got into the Hamilton police station. John Frederick Mc Donald plead guilty and was sentenced to 23 years in prison for the murder of Tommy and 10 years for shooting Larry.
Constable Larry Pearce survived the shooting and incurred several major surgeries but eventually returned to work on modified duties.
In fact he lived for another twenty years. He really wanted to return to active street duty and so in 1972 he was transferred to the Crime Prevention Unit. He worked with Phil Slack who remembers it was a great pleasure to work with him.
Over the next ten years, Larry was assigned to Vice and Drugs and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He also served as the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigator and then was appointed as the K-9 Branch Coordinator. Larry was promoted to a divisional Staff Sergeant at #3 Division.
Unfortunately, Larry was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 1983 at 44 years of age. A large police funeral was held for Larry which was attended by many of his colleagues from throughout the province. He had many friends from his work with Outlaw Motorcycle gangs and his Canine work.
At the time of his death, Constable Larry Johnson remembers that Larry Pearce was the Sergeant in charge of the Canine Unit. Keith Garnhum and K9 Luca with Larry Johnson and K9 Jag offer their respects at his funeral, along with Dieter Bauer and K9 Shadow and Dave Dunlop across the street.
By Dave Bowen, Retired Inspector, Hamilton Police Service