SIU not charging officer who shot man wielding sword in April east end incident

No charges will be issued to an Ottawa officer who was the subject of an SIU investigation in relation to a shooting incident that happened in April in the city’s east end.

On April 4, a 28-year-old man was shot and wounded by an OPS officer in the area of Montreal and Ogilvie roads at about 3:30 a.m. near a Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen.

When police arrived, SIU says they were confronted by the man.

One of the officers discharged his firearm and struck the man.

The man was transported to hospital.

The SIU report says unit investigators interviewed all witness police officers present at the time of the shot that was fired.

They also received duty notes from all officers who had any involvement in the incident.

SIU forensic investigators processed the scene and, between the scene and hospital, were able to recover the four discharged bullets.

A total of 11 bullets were obtained at OPS headquarters.

Civilian witnesses to the incident were interviewed, and both cell phone and closed-circuit television video footage of the incident were taken.

Police also located a long sword, an area of red blood-like staining and a black cell phone and a white baseball cap.

The sword at the scene had a length of 39 In., with the blade being 25 in.

“The material events in question are clear on the evidence collected by the SIU, which included interviews with civilian and police eyewitnesses to the shooting, and a civilian’s cell phone video recording that captured the incident,” the SIU report details. “It does not appear that he was in control of his mental faculties at the time.”

Not more than a minute after the officer had exited his cruises, the man turned and began to run in his direction, SIU says.

Officers yelled at the man not to “do it” and to “stop.”

When the man neared to within 2m to 3m of the officer, the officer discharged his firearm four times in quick succession.

The man suffered gunshot wounds to his left proximal arm, left flank, left groin and right groin.

“On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the [officer] committed a criminal offence in connection with the Complainant’s injuries,” the report continues. “It is regrettable that the Complainant, who appears to have been in the throes of a mental health crisis, could not be persuaded to put down the sword, but I am satisfied that was not for any want of reasonable efforts on the part of the officers.”

The full report can be read here.