News Release
No Charges Against OPP Officer After Man Shot with ARWEN in Greater Napanee
Case Number: 22-PFP-001
Other News Releases Related to Case 22-PFP-001
SIU Investigating After OPP Officer Discharged ARWEN at Man in Greater Napanee
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an Ontario Provincial Police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with shooting an Anti-riot Weapon Enfield (ARWEN) at a 58-year-old man while he was being apprehended in January.
On January 3, 2022, officers were called to a residence near Highway 41 and County Road 14 in the Township of Stone Mills for a man in distress with a rifle. Officers attempted to apprehend the man under the Mental Health Act. The man exited his home and refused repeated police commands to drop the firearm he was holding. An officer struck the man three times with ARWEN rounds. The man fell and dropped the gun, and a police dog bit his left leg. He was handcuffed and taken to hospital. The man was not seriously injured.
Director Martino was satisfied that the subject official comported himself reasonably throughout his engagement with the man, leaving no basis for proceeding with criminal charges against the officer. 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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES