News Release
No Charges Against London Police Officer in Shooting of Man Armed with Knives
Case Number: 21-OFI-232
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OFI-232
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a London Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting and injury of a 40-year-old man last July.
On July 27, 2021, officers were called to a residence on Dufferin Avenue in London following a 911 call to report a domestic disturbance and the presence of weapons. Officers responded and saw the man exit the home with a knife taped to each of his wrists. The man ignored repeated commands for him to drop the weapons and stop advancing toward the officers down the driveway. Two officers deployed Conducted Energy Weapons without success. Then, another officer discharged his pistol at the man twice. The man fell to the ground on his back. Paramedics arrived and took the man to hospital. The man suffered gunshot wounds to the right upper thigh and left hand.
Director Martino was satisfied that the subject official’s use of gunfire was a reasonable use of force. Efforts at verbal de-escalation and lesser force of the Conducted Energy Weapons had proven unsuccessful, and the man was on the precipice of reaching the officers. Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges against the officer, and the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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