News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Niagara Parks Officer in Man’s Shooting Death at Rainbow Bridge
Case Number: 22-OFD-059
Other News Releases Related to Case 22-OFD-059
SIU Investigating Death of Man in Niagara Parks Police Officer-Involved Shooting
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Niagara Parks Police Service special constable committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting death of a 49-year-old man in Niagara Falls in February.
On February 28, 2022, officers responded to an area under the Rainbow Bridge for reports that the man was harassing pedestrians. The man refused repeated requests to leave the area. The man shot pepper spray at two officers and brandished a knife. The man refused commands to drop the knife and one of the officer's shot the man. He died at the scene.
Director Martino was unable to reasonably conclude that the subject official acted other than in a manner commensurate with the exigencies at hand when he chose to meet a threat of lethal violence 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://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=2023
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