News Release
SIU Closes Investigation into Ottawa Police-involved Shooting that Led to Death of Man and Injury to Woman
Case Number: 22-OFD-164
Other News Releases Related to Case 22-OFD-164
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that any Ottawa Police Service (OPS) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the discharge of their firearms in June, resulting in the death of a 21-year-old man, and the serious injury of a 19-year-old woman.
On the night of June 27, 2022, OPS officers were dispatched to a residential dwelling on Anoka Street following reports of multiple females screaming outside and a female being stabbed by a male. As an officer was exiting his cruiser, he saw a man running towards a woman with a knife in his hand. The man mounted the woman and slashed at her with the knife. When the man would not heed the officer’s orders to drop the knife, the officer discharged his firearm. The man was struck multiple times, and one of the rounds struck the woman in the lower left leg. The man was on his back on the roadway and was still in possession of the knife. Two other officers on scene drew their firearms and repeatedly ordered the man to drop the knife. The man held onto the knife, sat up, and started to swing the knife in the officers’ direction. Both officers responded by firing their guns multiple times at the man. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. The woman was transported to hospital. She had suffered cuts to her forehead and left hand, and a fractured left lower leg, the latter caused by the firearm discharge. The mother and sister of the woman were located at the scene, deceased. Evidence gathered by the SIU indicated their deaths were caused by the 21-year-old man.
Director Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that any of the officers who discharged their firearms comported themselves other than within the limits of the criminal law. There was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case and 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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES