The man shot by a police officer in Kitchener this week made his first court appearance Friday morning.
Maurice Rivard, a 39-year-old Cambridge resident, appeared via an audio link from St. Mary’s General Hospital, where he remains in stable condition in the intensive care unit.
He is charged with one count of attempting to disarm a police officer.
The charge stems from a traffic stop on Ottawa Street South near Lilac Street early Thursday morning.
Authorities have said that Rivard’s car was pulled over following a complaint about a possible impaired driver after a car was seen driving erratically in the area of Belmont Avenue and Highland Road.
During the traffic stop, a conducted energy weapon and a gun were fired. A person who lives in the area has said that some time after hearing the shot, he saw a man lying on the ground beside the car, while the officer’s gun was drawn.
The incident is being investigated by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit due to the nature of Rivard’s injuries.
The SIU said Friday that it is "still investigating who deployed the conducted energy weapon, and the exact timeline of events."
Rivard’s case returns to court next Monday.
With reporting by Nicole Lampa
