Ontario's police oversight agency has cleared a London police officer of any wrongdoing after a serious crash earlier this year involving three young robbery suspects.
According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), on the evening of February 26, 2023, members of the London Police Service were on the lookout for a group of suspects riding in a Jeep that had fled the scene of an armed robbery at a convenience store located on Kipps Lane, east of Adelaide Street North.
After the suspects took off, the 911 caller told emergency dispatchers that the three, described as "male youths", had entered the store with ski masks on, and one of them allegedly began firing a gun into the air. One of the men was said to have produced a knife as well.
Sometime after 8:15 p.m., the SIU said an officer on patrol was travelling south on Adelaide Street when he spotted the suspect vehicle facing west at the stop sign on Victoria Street. The officer pulled onto Victoria Street next to the Jeep, which was preparing to make a right turn onto Adelaide Street, and activated his emergency lights. The driver of the Jeep made his turn and sped off, leading the officer to commence a chase.
The SIU report claims the Jeep raced north on Adelaide Street towards Kipps Lane at speeds topping out at around 140 kilometres per hour. The driver approached the intersection and made the decision to travel through the red light, striking a westbound Honda HR-V.
Another officer, also heading south on Adelaide Street, watched the Jeep pass him moments before the collision. Understanding it was the robbery suspect vehicle, the officer started to go after it when the crash occurred.
All three people in the Jeep, and a passenger in the Honda, sustained serious injuries including various fractures due to the crash. The occupants of the Jeep were arrested on scene.
SIU Director Joseph Martino concluded the investigation into the incident on Monday. He said there are no reasonable grounds to believe the responding officer committed a crime relating to the crash.
“The [subject officer] was engaged in the lawful exercise of his duties when he spotted the Jeep and attempted to stop it,” read the report by Martino. “He had reason to believe that its occupants had just been involved in an act of violence involving the discharge of a firearm.
Martino’s report also noted that the officer was several hundred metres behind the Jeep when the crash occurred. The officer’s driving was deemed not reckless as his emergency equipment was activated, and his speed topped out at around 90 kilometres per hour, Martino wrote.
“I am satisfied that the officer comported himself with due care and regard for public safety,” Martino concluded.
The file of the case is now closed.
The SIU was notified about the incident due to the police interaction before the crash. The independent government agency investigates incidents involving police that have resulted in death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault.
