The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe three Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the self-inflicted death of a 55-year-old man. As officers were present and engaging with the man at the time, the SIU was notified and investigated.
On June 10, 2023, the man contacted police to report he was suicidal and had a firearm in his vehicle at a rest stop area off Highway 12. Officers, including those trained in crisis negotiations, conversed with the man over several hours, and officers unsuccessfully attempted to use a conducted energy weapon and Anti-riot Weapon ENfield to incapacitate him. The man shot himself and was taken to hospital where he died.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
