News Release
SIU Concludes Markham Shooting Investigation
Case Number: 06-OFD-062
Other News Releases Related to Case 06-OFD-062
SIU Investigates Fatal Shooting in Markham
SIU Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting in Caledon
The SIU investigation revealed that on April 13, 2006, at about 5:15 a.m., the YRP received a 911 call about a home invasion robbery in progress at a home on Steele Valley Road. A number of YRP officers responded to the call and secured a perimeter around the home. Four officers, with their firearms drawn, were positioned on the semi-circular driveway leading to the front of the home.
Inside the home, two men loaded cash and property into the family's pickup truck, which was parked in the garage. One officer was standing directly in front of the garage when one of its doors opened. As soon as the officers saw the men in the truck, they identified themselves as police officers and ordered the driver to stop.
Mr. McKenzie was the driver and accelerated backwards out of the garage. The officer jumped clear of the vehicle to avoid being struck and fired one shot. Neither of the occupants in the truck was struck. Mr. McKenzie continued to back up and collided with a basketball net at the side of the driveway. The truck came to a stop.
The four officers converged around the truck and repeatedly ordered Mr. McKenzie to stop. He accelerated forward toward the four officers, three of whom were directly in the path of the truck. Two of the officers fired a total of seven times, striking the front windshield. None of those rounds struck either of the occupants.
The truck continued forward toward an officer who was still in jeopardy of being struck. That officer was armed with shotgun and fired. One round fatally struck Mr. McKenzie in the side of his head. The truck rolled off the driveway and came to rest on the north side of Steele Valley.
The passenger ran from the truck and was apprehended by police a short time later. He had been shot but was only slightly wounded. He was treated for his wound and then taken into police custody.
Based on all the available evidence, the Deputy Director said the police acted commendably in very difficult circumstances and determined that the shooting of Shelton McKenzie was justified.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations