News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation in Springwater Township
Case Number: 07-PFI-058
Other News Releases Related to Case 07-PFI-058
Mr. Reeve, 43 years of age, was involved in a confrontation with OPP officers and was shot once in the abdomen. He was taken to Royal Victoria Hospital and then transferred to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Mr. Reeve was treated for his gunshot wound and a superficial stab wound to his neck and released from hospital on April 5, 2007.
The SIU investigation determined that on March 29, 2007, OPP officers from the Huronia West detachment responded to a domestic dispute call at a home on Phelpston Road. While en route, officers learned that Mr. Reeve was involved in the dispute. They were also told that he had a pocketknife and had cut himself.
The subject officer was the first to arrive at 2:45 p.m. He radioed that the ambulance was already there. The officer got out of his cruiser and approached Mr. Reeve who was standing in the driveway of the home. He had an injury to his neck and was covered in blood.
There was a confrontation between the subject officer and Mr. Reeve in the driveway. In the course of that confrontation the subject officer first attempted to use his pepper spray on Mr. Reeve and used his firearm.
The entire confrontation lasted approximately one minute and 35 seconds.
Based on the totality of the evidence, Director Cornish concluded that the subject officer was justified in the use of force to control Mr. Reeve. The Director said, "Mr. Reeve's actions were unpredictable and the subject officer's escalation of his use of force was reasonable under the circumstances. More specifically, I am satisfied that the shooting was a reasonably necessary measure taken to thwart a legitimate threat of death or grievous bodily harm."
Mr. Reeve currently faces charges as a result of this incident. Any further exposition of the evidence gathered in the course of this investigation may tend to affect the proceedings currently underway. The SIU will not be releasing any further information on this investigation in order to protect the fair trial interests of Mr. Reeve and the community.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations