News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Discharge of Less-Lethal Firearm by OPP Officers
Case Number: 21-PFP-112
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any of the subject officials committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting and arrest of the 37-year-old man.
On April 7, 2021, the man was the subject of multiple less-lethal firearm discharges by three Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers. The discharges immediately preceded the man’s arrest and the end of a four-day stand-off that also involved officers with the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS), the Guelph Police Service (GPS) and the Brantford Police Service (BPS).
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1482
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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SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES