News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Investigation into London Officer in Shooting Death of Justin Bourassa

Case Number: 21-OFD-363   

Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OFD-363

SIU Investigating After Police Officer Fatally Shoots Man in London
Update: SIU Releases Identity of Man Fatally Shot by Police in London

Mississauga, ON (27 June, 2022) ---
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a London Police Service (LPS) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting death of 29-year-old Justin Bourassa last October.

In the early hours of October 28, 2021, Mr. Bourassa was walking in the area of Richmond Street and Mill Street in London when he was stopped by LPS officers who were searching for suspects involved in a reported break and enter nearby [Mr. Bourassa was not involved in the reported break and enter, but the police would not know this until after the incident.]  One officer held Mr. Bourassa while another officer approached with handcuffs. Mr. Bourassa broke free of the officer’s grip and attempted to flee. The officers grabbed him and they fell to the ground. While on the ground, Mr. Bourassa choked one of the officers and the other officer fired at him and struck Mr. Bourassa. Paramedics took him to hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Director Martino concluded that the evidence fell short of a reasonable conclusion that the subject official acted precipitously and without legal justification when he decided to meet a lethal threat to the other officer’s life with a resort to lethal force of his own. The file has been closed.

Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.

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