News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Halton Police Officers’ ARWEN, CEW Discharges at Burlington Man
Case Number: 21-OFP-393
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OFP-393
SIU Investigating ARWEN Discharge, Serious Injury Suffered by Burlington Man
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that two Halton Regional Police Service officers committed a criminal offence in connection with a serious injury suffered by a 52-year-old man in the course of his apprehension last November in Burlington.
On November 17, 2021, officers were called to the man’s residence for concerns that he was going to hurt himself. After failing to negotiate, officers entered the home and located the man with two edged weapons. The man was in the process of harming himself when an officer fired an Anti-Riot Weapon Enfield (ARWEN) at him and the other officer discharged a conducted energy weapon. He was apprehended under the Mental Health Act. The man sustained serious neck injuries that he had inflicted on himself.
Director Martino concluded that the use of force was legally justified to prevent serious harm or death. In the result, there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject officials conducted themselves unlawfully throughout their engagement with the man.
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