News Release

No Grounds to Lay Charges in Relation to Shooting Death in Ottawa

Case Number: 18-OFD-060   

Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OFD-060

SIU Investigating Fatal Police-involved Shooting in Ottawa

Mississauga, ON (20 March, 2019) ---
On the evening of February 25, 2018, a man stabbed another individual at a grocery store in Ottawa, and then fled to a nearby residential area. Ottawa Police Service officers were dispatched. When a police officer went down a narrow walkway, the person of interest jumped into the walkway with a knife in his hand, raised to shoulder height. He moved toward the officer, and when he did not comply with the officer’s commands to drop the knife, the officer shot the man multiple times. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against the officer in this case.

Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php. 


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

Lisez ce communiqué en français.