News Release

The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Peel Regional Police (PRP) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the discharge of his firearm in the course of the March arrest of a 47-year-old man.

In the morning of March 7, 2022, the man, for reasons unknown, embarked on a series of violent acts involving his family. His son fled to a neighbour’s residence and reported what was occurring, and the neighbour contacted police. Within moments, PRP officers began arriving at the Mississauga residence. The man was observed seated at the rear of the garage. He was holding his toddler son and refused to release the child when ordered to do so by officers. The man remained seated as officers entered the garage. As one officer neared to within arm’s length of the man, the officer used the muzzle of his rifle to strike him in the chest. Quickly thereafter, another officer fired his C-8 rifle, after which the officers forced the man flat on the landing just inside the doorway. In the course of a physical struggle, the toddler was freed from the man’s hold and removed from the garage as the altercation continued. The man was subjected to multiple conducted energy weapon deployments and punches and was eventually handcuffed behind his back. At hospital following his arrest, the man was diagnosed with a right-sided rib fracture. The gunshot did not strike the man.

Director Martino was satisfied that the officer did not transgress the limits of care when he fired his C-8 rifle, and as such, determined there were no grounds 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): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.