The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an Ontario Provincial Police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting death of a man in Collingwood in September 2020.
According to the SIU, at 12:30 p.m., on September 9, 2020, OPP officers responded to a home on Third Street in Collingwood following a report of a man in distress who had barricaded himself inside a residence. Shortly after police arrived, the man exited the residence with a shotgun. An officer repeatedly instructed the man to drop the gun and deployed a conducted energy weapon with no success. The man then pointed the shotgun in the officer’s direction before the officer discharged his firearm at the man. The officer discharged 11 rounds, eight of which struck the man.
Officers administered first aid before paramedics took over. The man was transported to hospital and pronounced deceased at 1:26 p.m.
Director Martino concluded that the officer acted to thwart a threat of imminent death to himself and others. Director Martino also found that the officer’s use of force was reasonable in the circumstances as indications were the man was on his feet with a shotgun in hand until the final shot was discharged. In conclusion, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges and the file has been closed.
