News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Kitchener Fatal Police-Involved Shooting
Case Number: 24-OFD-072
Other News Releases Related to Case 24-OFD-072
SIU Investigating Police-Involved Fatal Shooting in Kitchener
On February 19, 2024, Waterloo Regional Police Service officers were dispatched to an apartment building in Kitchener for a disturbance call. An individual had called police to report that a family member – a 31-year-old male – was of unsound mind and in possession of a machete. Soon after arriving, officers observed the male. When he ran towards the officers while holding the machete, one of the officers deployed his conducted energy weapon (CEW). The man fell but got up and advanced towards an officer. The officer deployed his CEW again, but the man continued forward. Another officer then discharged his firearm and the man was fatally struck. 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 man’s death.
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