The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared a Thunder Bay police officer of any wrongdoing following an investigation into the shooting of a man walking along Highway 11/17.
No criminal charges were laid, and the investigation has been closed.
Officers were sent to the highway on December 26, 2024, after receiving calls about a man walking along the highway with a gun.
The man was located walking with a shotgun in hand, and the highway was closed.
Once police got on the scene, they asked the man to drop his weapon.
Instead, the man walked towards an officer, raised his weapon and pulled the trigger.
The gun failed to discharge, but the man attempted to fire again, and the side of a police cruiser was struck with an officer hiding behind it.
The officer was uninjured.
From a distance, another officer fired his semi-automatic pistol a single time at the man, and the man was struck in the chest.
The officers approached the man on the ground, secured him in handcuffs, and performed first aid while they waited for paramedics to arrive.
On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injury.
“I am also satisfied that the SO’s (officer who fired a shot) shooting constituted a reasonable measure of force in defence of WO #1 (officer who was shot at),” said SIU Director Joseph Martino in his report. “It is apparent that the SO had no other recourse other than to fire at the Complainant if he was going to intervene to prevent grievous harm or death coming to WO #1.”
