Timmins police officer cleared for shooting suspect during arrest
A 31-year-old man was shot during an arrest last fall and now Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has cleared the Timmins police officer responsible of any wrongdoing.
The officer responsible was on patrol when he reportedly saw the suspect run from a residence on Commercial Avenue around 1:25 a.m. Oct. 31. Around that time, the resident called police to report a break-in in progress and said that someone he didn't know broke the side window of his house by throwing a beer bottle at it, the director's report of the incident said.
The suspect was seen meeting up with another man and a woman on the street before getting into a vehicle and driving away, the report said. The responding officer pulled them over nearby at the intersection of Rea Street and Bannerman Avenue.
Another officer arrived and during the arrest, one man ran away on foot while the suspect fought with the two officers trading punches. At one point during the fight, the suspect pulled out a Ruger pistol shot twice at the officers and was then shot in the lower back by one of them when he tried to get away.
The man sustained serious injuries in the shooting and was taken to hospital by paramedics. He had surgery for a fractured spine as a result of the incident.
Video footage from both of the officer's vehicles as well as surveillance footage from a home on Rea Street South was used as evidence in the decision.
The female driver was arrested without incident and a canine track was conducted for the second man that fled.
No injuries to the police officers were mentioned in the incident report.
Because the suspect shot at the officers first, the SIU director, Joseph Martino, said the officer was justified in shooting him in order to protect himself and his colleague and no criminal charges will be laid.
"On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the (subject officer) committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting," Martino said in his decision. "I am satisfied that the force used by the officers during the struggle was reasonably necessary pursuant to section 25(1) of the criminal code. More specifically, in the context of an individual determined to break free from the officers, and whose resistance escalated to the point of producing a firearm despite the several punches to the head delivered by (witnessing officer) #2 and the (subject officer), the evidence not does establish that the force used by the officers during this time was excessive."
Read the full report here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.