News Release
No Charges to Issue Against Officer in Toronto Who Discharged Bean Bag Gun at Man
Case Number: 20-TFP-347
Other News Releases Related to Case 20-TFP-347
SIU Investigating After Police Officer Discharges Bean-Bag Gun at Man in Toronto
On December 11, 2020, an employee of the Willowdale Welcome Centre contacted police out of concern for a 33-year-old man who was in mental distress, and concern for the safety of other residents and staff. Officers attempted to establish a line of communication with the man and encouraged him to put away a knife he was in possession of. However, the man refused all the officers’ overtures and yelled that he wanted to die and wanted police to shoot him. A short time later, an officer fired his bean bag gun at the man two times. The man was eventually arrested. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting.
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