Arrest made in connection with explosion at Stellantis plant in Canada

Police in Windsor, Ont., said they have made an arrest in connection with the Nov. 4 explosion at the Stellantis minivan plant there.

It was a blast police called "an intentional act."

At about 9:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, police descended on an area about a mile north of the plant for what they said was “in relation to an active investigation.” Officers executed a search warrant at a residence located in the 1700 block of Drouillard Rd.

Several local media outlets reported the Windsor Police Service's explosive disposal unit was on scene.

At about noon, police said “an adult male has been arrested in relation to the explosion at a business located in the 2100 block of Chrysler Centre Drive.” That business is the Windsor Assembly Plant.

They later identified the man as James Harris, 33, and charged him with three offenses:

• Explosion/Disregard for Human Life
• Intend to cause explosion likely to cause serious bodily harm or death
• Intend to cause explosion likely to cause serious damage to property

Harris is an employee of a vendor that provides cleaning services at the Windsor Assembly Plant, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

Police told Automotive News Canada on Wednesday it had no further comment.

Stellantis issued a brief statement: "We want to thank the Windsor Police Department and the entire task force for their swift response in investigating this incident and helping to ensure the safety of our workforce. We remain grateful that no one was harmed as a result of this deliberate action."

Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy didn't respond to phone calls or text messages place by Automotive News Canada.

Police were called to the Windsor Assembly Plant at about 5:45 p.m. ET on Nov. 4. 

The facility was evacuated, and police said no one was injured. There was never an active fire as a result of the explosion. About 2,000 people were inside the facility at the time of the blast.

Production resumed a few hours after the explosion and has been running since. 

Police haven’t yet said what exactly exploded, only that it was “a suspicious package that detonated.”

The incident occurred on the west side of the facility on the second floor. The device was found in a part of the factory not normally used for general work and acts as a storage facility. 

Meanwhile, tensions remain high among some of the unionized employees. Several Unifor members are opposed to the Detroit 3's vaccine mandates, which, beginning in December, will require all employees, contractors and visitors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before entering any Stellantis facility in Canada.

Stellantis also announced on Oct. 15 that it would be reducing the Windsor minivan plant to a one-shift operation, beginning in April 2022. The cut would affect about 1,800 jobs.