News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Discharge of Less-Lethal Firearm by Police Officer in Toronto
Case Number: 21-TFI-037
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-TFI-037
SIU Investigating after Officer Discharges Less Lethal Shotgun at Man in Toronto
Witness Assistance
On February 3, 2021, Toronto Police Service officers responded to a condo on Adelaide Street for a report of a person damaging vehicles in the underground garage. After a search, officers located the 18-year-old man at a Green P parking on Richmond Street East. When the man proceeded to pull a knife on the officers, two officers discharged their Conducted Energy Weapons (CEWs) at the man. Unaffected by the discharge, the man continued to make his way westbound on Richmond Street East. A third officer subsequently fired beanbag rounds from her less-lethal shotgun, striking the man. The man continued to walk away, but collapsed to the ground minutes later. He was arrested and taken to hospital for treatment of a fracture of the right forearm/wrist. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer who discharged the less-lethal shotgun committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injury.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid
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