London police officer won't be charged after July shooting incident

The SIU is called on to investigate any time someone is killed or injured in an incident involving police in Ontario. (CTV Northern Ontario file)

Exeter, Ont. -

No charges will be laid against a London police officer in the shooting of a 40-year-old man armed with knives.

According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), no reasonable grounds were found to believe that the officer involved committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting in July.

As CTV News London previously reported, the SIU began its investigation after officers were called to a residence on Dufferin Avenue on July 27 following a 911 call to report a domestic disturbance and the presence of weapons.

The decision from the SIU goes on to say that officers responded and saw the man exit the home with a knife taped to each of his wrists. The man ignored repeated commands for him to drop the weapons and stop advancing toward the officers down the driveway.

Two officers deployed Conducted Energy Weapons without success. Then, another officer discharged his pistol at the man twice. The man fell to the ground on his back.

Paramedics arrived and took the man to hospital. The man suffered gunshot wounds to the right upper thigh and left hand.

“Director Martino [of the SIU] was satisfied that the subject official’s use of gunfire was a reasonable use of force. Efforts at verbal de-escalation and lesser force of the Conducted Energy Weapons had proven unsuccessful, and the man was on the precipice of reaching the officers. Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges against the officer, and the file has been closed.”

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians.