A Dark Day in Port Perry - Part 1

January 7, 1990

“I have some good news for you,” the warden said, facing the calm, composed 37 year old inmate. “Your book has been published.” There was no reaction. The warden continued, “Not a bad use for a federal grant.” Again a pause. “It does, however, give away a lot of your criminal secrets, like keeping your getaway vehicle far from the scene, but keeping a bicycle close by.” The inmate smiled and returned to his cell.

October 20th, 1994 - 5 PM.

A man had just pulled into the Port Perry Plaza, waiting for his wife to finish her business in the Bank of Montreal. It was a Thursday afternoon, and traffic in and out of the plaza was moderate. He casually glanced in the direction of the bank and saw two men walking toward the door. What was unique and what caught his attention, was one was carrying an assault rifle.

Shocked and confused, he ran to the nearest building, the Coldwell Banker Realty office, asked to use the phone and dialled 911. He was immediately put through and explained what he saw.

Meanwhile, across the parking lot, inside the bank, the two culprits took the manager into the treasury and demanded he open the safe. Nervously he explained he was unable to do so, and the older of the two would-be robbers, lifted a handgun, pulled the trigger and shot the branch manager in the leg. At that point the safe was opened, and the money, $54,000, was thrown into a couple of sacks.

The two robbers made their way outside, where a police cruiser, with two officers, was just pulling up, as a result of the 911 call. Taken by surprise, one of the gunmen lifted his rifle in the direction of the police cruiser and began to fire. One bullet hit one of the officers in the forehead, while the second officer was shot in the side of his face. It was a miracle they survived.

Across the street, where now the Independent Grocer is, was a property being developed. A small sales booth was occupied by a lady, who at the time was on the phone. Oblivious to what was happening across the street; she suddenly slumped in her chair when a stray bullet made its way through the window of the sales office.

No one at the time knew about the stray bullet, and it was quite a while before she was discovered and rushed to the hospital. Fortunately she recovered, but the shock of what happened no doubt stayed with her forever.

A second police car drove into the lot, and the detective behind the wheel saw the shooting of his fellow officers. He left the vehicle and immediately heard gun fire. He took cover behind a post, and when he raised his arm and pointed his weapon, he was shot in the arm.

The two robbers, Mickey McArthur and his brother, made their way to the south end of the plaza, and escaped behind where the Canadian Tire store was, at the time.

The lead detective, off duty at the time, arrived on the scene as ambulances were transporting the victims to the hospital. Civilians were terrified and confused, and the first person the detective spoke to said he saw the robbers flee on bicycles.

Ironically, during the investigation it was discovered Mickey McArthur, while incarcerated eight years earlier, had written a book four years earlier about how to rob a bank.

People were scrambling and doors were locked, all except the Paulmac pet store, which at the time was owned by a former police officer. Amid the confusion, he invited terrified bystanders to take shelter in his store.

Fortunately a small town has a great sense of camaraderie, and many people came forward with information. All units of policing in the area were involved, including RCMP, OPP, Metro Toronto and of course, Durham. Roads were immediately closed and the town of Port Perry was locked down.

Part II of this article will appear in the September issue of Focus on Scugog Magazine.

 (For privacy reasons, names of victims have not been included in this article)

CLICK HERE TO READ PART 2