News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into York Officer Firing ARWEN at Man in Aurora Arrest
Case Number: 22-OFP-201
Other News Releases Related to Case 22-OFP-201
SIU Investigating After Police Officer Discharges ARWEN at Man in Aurora
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a York Regional Police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with shooting an Anti-Riot Weapon Enfield (ARWEN) round at a 26-year-old man during his arrest in Aurora.
In the early hours of August 10, 2022, the man broke into a home near Bathurst Street and McClellan Way. The man was mentally unwell and suicidal. The man barricaded the front door, believing people after him with assault weapons, and told the homeowner to call the police. The homeowner called 911 and left the home after the man took knives from the cutlery drawer. Police responded and attempted to get the man to exit the home. The man was largely unresponsive. Emergency Response Unit officers were deployed and attempted to get the man to drop the knife and surrender. The man exited the home and rushed at the officers with the knife. The officer fired his ARWEN at the man and two other officers fired their Conducted Energy Weapons (CEWs). The man fell to the ground and was struck again with the CEW discharges. He was arrested. The man was not seriously injured.
Director Martino was satisfied the subject official and other officers were acting within their rights when they sought to take the man into custody. The man had given them every indication that he was a threat to himself and others because of mental disorder, rendering him subject to arrest under section 17 of the Mental Health Act. In the result, as there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer, or any of the others, comported themselves other than lawfully, Director Martino found no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case. 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=2215
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