News Release

SIU Concludes Investigation into Ottawa Police-involved Shooting

Case Number: 24-OFI-129   

Mississauga, ON (19 July, 2024) ---
On March 22, 2024, the attention of Ottawa Police Service officers was drawn to a vehicle with excessive tint on its windows and an out-of-province licence plate. An attempt was made to stop the vehicle, but the driver wouldn’t stop. A short time later, the female driver of the vehicle took flight on foot, while carrying a firerarm in her hand. An officer repeatedly yelled at her to drop it. When the woman turned in the officer’s direction, the officer fired four rounds from his semi-automatic pistol. The woman was arrested, and transported to hospital where she was treated for multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting.
     
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