News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Ottawa Police-Involved Shooting
Case Number: 24-OFI-492
Other News Releases Related to Case 24-OFI-492
On the night of November 15, 2024, multiple 911 calls were received by the Ottawa Police Service reporting violent attacks being perpetrated by a male armed with a hatchet outside a restaurant. Officers were dispatched to the scene. When the armed man started to run towards an officer and would not heed repeated calls to drop the hatchet, the officer discharged his firearm at the man. The man, who was now on the ground, began to crawl towards the officer, with hatchet in hand. When he refused to drop the hatchet, two other officers discharged their conducted energy weapons at the man. The man was arrested and transported to hospital for treatment. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES