News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation After OPP Officer Shoots, Wounds Man in Exchange of Gunfire in Marmora
Case Number: 23-PFI-510
Other News Releases Related to Case 23-PFI-510
SIU Investigating After Man Shot by OPP Officer in Marmora Area
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe two Ontario Provincial Police officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting of a 48-year-old man in Marmora. On December 14, 2023, the man was shot after he shot at officers in a cabin on Twin Sisters Lake Road. Earlier, the property owner reported to police that the man, believed to have access to guns, had threatened to burn the camp and he wanted police to remove him. The man fired a shotgun out an open window of the cabin. Police officers attempted to negotiate for hours to no avail. An officer fired a less-lethal weapon twice at the cabin’s windows. In response, the man fired his shotgun three times at officers. An officer returned fire, striking the man in the left shoulder. He exited the cabin and was taken into custody.
Director Martino was unable to reasonably conclude that the officer acted with excess when he chose to meet a threat of lethal force with a resort to lethal force of his own.
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
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Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES