SIU clears LPS officer in shooting death of London man last October
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has issued its determination in connection to the shooting death of tennis coach Justin Bourassa last October.
In his determination, SIU Director Joseph Martino found “no reasonable grounds" to believe that a London Police Service (LPS) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting death of 29-year-old Justin Bourassa last October,” according to a press release issued Monday.
According to the SIU, in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2021, Bourassa was walking in the area of Richmond Street and Mill Street in London when he was stopped by two officers who were searching for suspects wanted for a break and enter that was reported nearby.
Unbeknownst to the police officers at the time, Bourassa was not involved with the break and enter.
The SIU said one officer held Bourassa while another approached him with handcuffs. Bourassa then broke free from of the officer’s grip and attempted to flee, but the officers grabbed him and they fell to the ground.
While on the ground, Bourassa choked one of the officers and the other officer fired his weapon, striking Bourassa.
Bourassa was taken to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
CTV News London reported last October that Bourassa, who hailed from Lambton County, was described as “someone everybody loved.”
In an obituary posted to the website of the McKenzie Blundy funeral home, Bourassa was remembered for his athletic ability and kindness.
“Justin loved everyone and everyone loved him. He will be best remembered for his kindness to those less privileged, his gentleness, his humour and his joie de vivre,” read the obituary.
In his determination, “Director Martino concluded that the evidence fell short of a reasonable conclusion that the subject official acted precipitously and without legal justification when he decided to meet a lethal threat to the other officer’s life with a resort to lethal force of his own,” according to the release.
In a statement to CTV News, London police said: “In accordance with our obligations under the Police Services Act, an internal review will be conducted into the incident. Upon completion of that review, the findings will be reported to the London Police Services Board. We are unable to speak to this matter while the review is underway.”
The SIU is an independent authority responsible for investigating the conduct of officials, such as police, that resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, or the discharge of a weapon at another person.
The case is now closed.
— With files from Justin Zadorsky
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.