News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Vancouver Police Officers at Ottawa Protests
Case Number: 22-PFP-053
Other News Releases Related to Case 22-PFP-053
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that two Vancouver Police Department officers committed a criminal offence in connection with shooting their less-lethal firearms at two protesters during the demonstrations in Ottawa on February 19, 2022.
Police officers with the Vancouver Police Department were in Ottawa to assist with policing the Freedom Convoy protests, and specifically, in this incident, the officers involved were part of an operation to control the crowd on Bank Street. Shots were fired at a 36-year-old man and a 41-year-old man. No serious injuries were reported.
Director Martino concluded that there were no reasonable grounds to believe that either subject official comported themselves unlawfully in the use of their less lethal firearms. Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case. The file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES