News Release
No Criminal Charges Warranted in Brantford Police-Involved Shooting
Case Number: 19-OFI-177
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-OFI-177
On the morning of July 31, 2019, a 48-year-old man called 911 requesting police and paramedic assistance. The man advised the 911 operator that he would wait for police at the Polish Hall on Pearl Street in Brantford. Brantford Police Service officers were dispatched both to the man’s residence and to the Polish Hall, the latter being where the man was located. An interaction ensued between the man and officers, with two of the officers discharging their firearms. The man sustained multiple gunshot wounds resulting in severe injuries. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that a criminal offence was committed by either police officer.
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