News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Sault Ste. Marie Firearm injury
Case Number: 10-OFI-192
Other News Releases Related to Case 10-OFI-192
The SIU assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident. The SIU designated two officers as witness officers and one officer as a subject officer. Six civilian witnesses were interviewed.
The SIU investigation determined that on September 4, 2010 at 11:55 p.m. SSMPS officers responded to a 911 call regarding the stabbing of a woman in an apartment on Queen Street West. When the subject officer entered the apartment he saw a man holding a knife. This man was positioned overtop of a woman. The man was given a chance to drop the knife, but failed to do so. The man began to turn towards the officer. The officer discharged his firearm once and the man was struck in the rear posterior by a bullet. Christopher Syrette, 46-years-old, was taken to hospital in Sault Ste. Marie for treatment. Mr. Syrette was eventually taken to hospital in Toronto for further follow-up treatment.
Director Scott said, “The results of the investigation support the inference that the subject officer may be justified under s. 27 of the Criminal Code in shooting Mr. Syrette because he represented an imminent threat of death or grievous harm to the woman. Alternatively, given Mr. Syrette’s turning motion in the direction of the subject officer, the subject officer may have been justified in the use of potentially lethal force under ss. 34(2) of the Criminal Code due to an imminent threat to himself.”
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