Stamford Fugitive Dead After Police Standoff In Canada: Stamford PD

STAMFORD, CT — A Stamford man who fled Connecticut for Canada in 2020 is dead after a police standoff at an Airbnb just north of Quebec, according to the Stamford Police Department.

Simon Bester, 42, was accused in 2019 of sexually assaulting a woman and holding her against her will, police said. He was ultimately arrested, but failed to appear in Stamford Superior Court, so a failure-to-appear extraditable warrant was developed along with a $500,000 bond.

Stamford investigators tracked Bester to Canada. The U.S. Marshals then worked for two years in conjunction with Canadian authorities to pinpoint Bester's whereabouts, police said.

Last week, Bester was found staying at an Airbnb near Quebec.

"As they moved in to arrest Bester, he ran back into the residence, and proceeded to barricade himself inside. It quickly became a standoff situation," Stamford police said in a news release. "Bester eventually let a female leave from the residence, and a short time later, gunfire was heard."

Canadian authorities moved in and found Bester dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. Bester's identity was positively confirmed and the U.S. Consulate notified his family.

"One thing we would like to say is that we did not expect the outcome to end like this, and we express our condolences to his family," Stamford police said in a news release.

"However, Bester was on the run for a reason. Bester committed a series of crimes here, and also in Canada. He left behind a series of victims of sexual abuse as well. These victims will take years of counseling and healing to get past this ordeal," police added. "We would like to stress that if you commit a crime in the city of Stamford, we will go to all lengths to find you and bring you back to serve justice."