News Release

SIU Concludes Investigation into Discharge of ARWEN by Police Officer in Brantford

Case Number: 23-OFP-016   

Mississauga, ON (10 May, 2023) ---
On January 10, 2023, bylaw officers were investigating a report of a man who had set up camp in a park. The 39-year-old man confronted the officers and threatened to shoot them. The bylaw officers called 911 to report the incident. Brantford Police Service officers located the man. When an officer asked the man to show his hands, he did. However, the man refused to get on his knees and instead became argumentative. The man eventually got to his knees, but then refused to lie prone on the ground. Another officer discharged his Anti-Riot Weapon EnField at the man, and the man was struck. The man was rushed by officers and handcuffed behind his back. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting. 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.

Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES