News Release

News Release

Update: SIU Continues Investigation into Police Discharge of CEW and ARWEN in Vaughan

Case Number: 20-OFI-202   

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Mississauga, ON (18 August, 2020) ---
The province’s Special Investigations Unit is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the police interaction with a 24-year-old man yesterday in Vaughan.  

Preliminary information suggests the following:

• On August 17, 2020 at approximately 9:30 am, York Regional Police officers were dispatched to Misty Sugar Park in Vaughan for a man armed with a weapon. 
• Police officers attended the park and located the man.
• There was an interaction and a police officer deployed a conducted energy weapon (CEW).  
• The man fled into the park and uniformed police officers, along with members of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) attended.  
• There was a second interaction with the man and an ERU member discharged another CEW. An ARWEN (Anti-Riot Weapon ENfield) was also deployed. 
• The man was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and transported to Mackenzie Health hospital in Richmond Hill. 
• He was examined and was found to have a serious injury.

At this time three investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case. One police officer has been designated as a subject officer and six police officers designated as witness officers.

The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. The Unit is also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to this incident to upload that video through the SIU website.

If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by an incident under SIU investigation and would like support, the Affected Persons Program is here to help. You can reach us at 1-877-641-1897. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7, every day of the year.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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

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