News Release
Man Armed with Knife Refused to Exit Walmart Washroom; No Criminal Wrongdoing on Part of Toronto Officers Who Arrested Him
Case Number: 17-TCI-365
On December 13, 2017, Toronto Police Service (TPS) officers responded to a Walmart store on Eglinton Avenue East as a man refused to exit a family washroom. When officers opened the washroom door, they were confronted by the man who was holding a knife in his right hand. The officers retreated. Emergency Task Force members arrived and after attempts to negotiate with the man failed, they breached the washroom door and arrested the man. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against any TPS officer in relation to the man’s arrest.
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