News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man Shot, Wounded by Toronto Police Officer
Case Number: 24-TFI-160
Other News Releases Related to Case 24-TFI-160
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with shooting and wounding a 28-year-old man. On April 12, 2024, the man cut an officer’s left leg in the course of his arrest on the basis of an outstanding warrant while outside a Tim Hortons on College Street. Officers repeatedly told the man to drop the knife. The man was struck with a conducted energy weapon and a single bullet at about the same time. He advanced toward the Tim Hortons doors and was struck again by a conducted energy weapon. He was arrested and taken to hospital. The man was struck in the upper left back by the bullet.
Director Martino was satisfied the officer who fired the gun acted to defend himself and others in the vicinity from a reasonably apprehended assault. The man, having just inflicted grievous bodily harm on an officer and still in possession of the knife, was within metres of the officers and customers inside the Tim Hortons, in which direction he was turning at the time of the shooting. The officer would have had cause to believe that his life, the life of his partner, and the lives of those inside the restaurant were at risk of injury or death.
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