News Release
No Charges Against Officer in Firearm Discharge at Stolen Truck in Waterloo
Case Number: 21-OFP-210
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OFP-210
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Waterloo Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the discharge of his firearm at a pickup truck.
On July 6, 2021, officers responding to a call for a suspicious vehicle on Grovehill Crescent learned that the pickup truck was stolen. A man, seated in the driver’s seat, ignored police commands to exit the vehicle, and drove forward and back, smashing two police cruisers. One of the officers discharged his firearm at the truck as it sped away and fled the scene. No evidence was found that suggested anyone in the pickup truck was struck by gunfire.
Director Martino was unable to reasonably conclude that the subject officer’s resort to gunfire was an unreasonable response as the official’s life was in peril as the pickup truck accelerated in his direction. Accordingly, the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1630
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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES