News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into OPP Officers Who Shot Man in Ohsweken
Case Number: 23-PFI-452
Other News Releases Related to Case 23-PFI-452
SIU Investigating Police-involved Shooting in the Ohsweken-Six Nations of the Grand River
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe three Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers committed a criminal offence in connection with shooting a 40-year-old man last November.
The man had fired a gun at Six Nations Police officers and OPP officers.
Director Martino concluded that the man had fired at the officers and was preparing to shoot again when he was downed by a barrage of gunfire. The man constituted a clear and present danger to the lives and limbs of the officers and the officers were entitled to meet that threat with a resort to lethal force of their own. The man was transported to hospital in Hamilton and treated for multiple gunshot wounds.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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