Ontario’s police watchdog is looking into the death of a 29-year-old man who passed away after being shocked with a stun gun by a Barrie police officer.
This incident took place early Friday morning around 3:30 a. m., following a traffic stop near Dunlop Street W. and Frances Street, according to a news release from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The man, who had an outstanding arrest warrant, ran from the car and was pursued by officers on foot, the release noted.
Officers located him in the backyard of a house on Frances Street, where one officer used a stun gun during an “interaction,” as stated in the release.
Emergency measures were taken immediately, said the SIU, and he was transported to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The traffic stop was initiated due to suspected impaired driving, Barrie police reported in their Friday news release. A 25-year-old woman was arrested and charged with operating while impaired with a blood alcohol level over 80; the man who fled was riding as a passenger.
James Beuthling, who lives nearby, mentioned that he saw police at his home around 10 a. m. but didn’t know what had happened. He expressed concern about rising crime in the area since the pandemic and due to increasing living costs.
“A lot of robberies, my truck has been broken into many times, my house has been broken into … I had a snow blower stolen.”
“It’s crazy because people are broke,” Beuthling said. “Even me, I work and I’m broke … when someone has no hope, they get desperate.”
Kim Kjeldsen, another local resident, said he was shocked to learn that someone died after being stunned by an electric weapon.
“I’ve never heard of Tasing a person and you die from that; I don’t know what caused that,” he remarked.
The case has been assigned three investigators along with two forensic investigators.
The SIU encourages anyone with information regarding this investigation-especially videos or photos-to reach out to them.
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