Officer who shot an armed man in 2021 won't be charged: SIU
An officer with the Waterloo Regional Police Service won't face charges in connection to the 2021 shooting of a 19-year-old man in Kitchener, as the SIU determined the victim wanted to provoke the officer into killing him.
Ontario's Special Investigation Unit announced their decision on Friday and said there was "no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer comported himself other than lawfully throughout his engagement" with the victim.
At around 6:50 p.m. on August 18, police received a report of a man in distress near the Laurentian Power Centre at Ottawa Street South and Strasburg Road. They said when officers arrived, the man drove his vehicle into a police cruiser. He threatened the officer with a knife, then got out of the vehicle and jumped over the hood of the cruiser, before chasing the officer.
A photo of the WRPS cruiser and the vehicle belonging to the man taken from the SIU's report.
The SIU's report said when the man ignored commands to stop, the officer fired his gun once and the man was hit in the right knee, causing him to collapse onto the ground. He then got back up and charged at the officer. The SIU said the officer fired another shot, followed by seven more as the man continued to follow him.
The officer then fell and dropped his gun. The man picked it up "momentarily" before the officer approached him from behind and a physical altercation ensued. The two struggled until other officers arrived on scene and took the man into custody.
The man was transported to hospital with gunshot wounds to his left arm, as well as his left and right legs. His injuries were considered non-life threatening.
The SIU's report said a black-handled butcher-style knife, approximately 34 centimetres long, and a handwritten note were found at the scene.
A photo of the knife the man was carrying during his interaction with WRPS from the SIU's report.
Investigators determined that the man had decided to end his life by provoking a police officer into shooting him. His plan, according the SIU report, was to purchase a vehicle and drive it without license plates. When stopped by police, he intended to threaten the officer with a knife, forcing them to shoot him.
The report goes on to say that the man's family learned of his plan through his social media posts and contacted police.
The handwritten note was addressed to "Officers and Friends and Family" and, according to the SIU, apologized to the police officer "he hoped and planned would ultimately kill him."
The SIU determined that "there is little doubt that the [officer] acted with proportionate and reasonable force when he sought to defend himself from a knife attack with lethal force of his own."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.