Ontario’s police watchdog has found that an officer did not act improperly in a fatal shooting near Port Elgin.
On Feb. 21, OPP officers were looking for a 48-year-old man connected to several residential break-ins, vehicle thefts, an assault, and the theft of a firearm.
The suspect was located near Port Elgin but took off in a stolen SUV. An officer chased after the vehicle as it sped past tire-deflation devices set up in the area.
The man lost control of the SUV and crashed into a snowbank. Armed with a shotgun, he approached a nearby home, threatened the residents, and demanded their car keys, according to the Special Investigations Unit.
By that time, officers had arrived at the scene. An officer holding a rifle ran toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and ordered the man to show his hands, said the SIU.
The man raised his empty hands. The officer then opened the driver’s door while the man pulled out a shotgun and aimed it at him, stated the SIU.
The officer fired several rounds from his rifle. The man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
After reviewing all evidence, SIU director Joseph Martino concluded there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed any criminal offense related to the man’s death.
The SIU investigates incidents involving police that lead to serious injury or death, discharge of firearms, or allegations of sexual assault.
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