News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation in Thornhill
Case Number: 05-OFI-019
The SIU dispatched six investigators to the scene of the shooting at New Westminster Drive and Centre Street in Thornhill. Preliminary information from the investigation indicates an YRPS officer was involved in a confrontation with two men in a car in a parking lot. The officer discharged his firearm and shot the passenger of the car in the leg.
The injured man was taken to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where he was treated for a minor flesh wound. SIU investigators interviewed the treating physician and the injured man and confirmed the injury was a minor graze to the skin of the man's leg. He has since been released back into police custody.
Based upon the detailed initial investigation conducted by the SIU, Director James Cornish has decided to terminate the investigation because of the absence of serious injury.
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