News Release

On February 21, 2026, OPP officers were searching for a 48-year-old man suspected in a series of residential break and enters, automobile thefts, an assault and the theft of a firearm. Officers located him near Port Elgin, but he fled in a stolen SUV. An officer pursued the SUV as it travelled past tire deflation devices that had been deployed in the area. The man lost control of the SUV and crashed into a snowbank. The man, who had a shotgun, approached a nearby residence, threatened the owners, and demanded their car keys. By this time, officers had arrived at the property. Armed with a rifle, an officer rushed towards the driver’s door of the vehicle and ordered the man to show his hands. The man raised his empty hands. The officer then opened the driver’s door as the man retrieved a shotgun and pointed it at the officer. The officer fired multiple rounds from his rifle. The man was transported to hospital where he was pronounced deceased. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s death. 

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