News Release

News Release

SIU Investigating ARWEN Discharge in North Bay

Case Number: 21-PFP-142   

Other News Releases Related to Case 21-PFP-142

No Charges in Police Discharge of ARWEN During Arrest of Man in North Bay

Mississauga, ON (6 May, 2021) ---
The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the discharge of an Anti Riot Weapon ENfield (ARWEN) yesterday by a police officer in North Bay.

Preliminary information suggests the following:
  • At approximately 2:50 p.m. on May 5, 2021, officers with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Emergency Response Team and officers with the North Bay Police Service Emergency Response Team surrounded a vehicle in the parking lot of a business on Lakeshore Drive. Inside the vehicle was a 22-year-old male passenger who was wanted on multiple warrants.
  • When the man refused to exit the vehicle, an OPP officer discharged his ARWEN at the vehicle.
  • The man came out of the vehicle and he was arrested. The driver of the vehicle was also arrested.

The man did not sustain any serious injury, but the SIU’s mandate was invoked under the Special Investigations Unit Act, 2019 because a firearm was discharged at a person. A firearm is defined as a barreled weapon from which any shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person.

The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. The Unit is also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to this incident to upload that video through the SIU website.

If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call the Affected Persons Program General Referral Line at 1-877-641-1897 or click here for more information: siu.on.ca/en/apc.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

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