The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has concluded its investigation into the OPP’s use of anti-riot weapons after responding to a home in Seaforth.
The SIU says on Dec. 20, 2024, officers responded to a domestic disturbance, and found a man had armed himself with a knife and refused to exit the home.
Tactics and Rescue Unit officers were deployed and breached the door to arrest the 26-year-old man.
While trying to apprehend the man, the SIU says an officer fired his anti-riot weapon twice, hitting the man’s upper body. He man dropped the knife and was taken into custody.
No serious injuries were reported.
The SIU found no reasonable grounds to believe the OPP officer involved committed a criminal offence.
“Director Joseph Martino concluded that due to the knife in the man’s possession, a direct physical engagement was effectively off the table. Rather, it made sense to attempt to temporarily incapacitate the man from a distance with less-lethal force,” says the SIU in its report.
The full report can be found here.
