The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared an OPP officer that shot a Seaforth man in distress with a less-lethal firearm in December.
According to the report by the provincial police watchdog, officers responded following a domestic disturbance involving a 26-year-old man and a family member at an address in Seaforth around 3:30 p.m. on December 20, 2024.
The man had armed himself with a knife and was refusing to leave the residence. Officers surrounded the home and police negotiators contacted the man by phone.
After negotiations failed, Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU) officers entered the residence around 10:15 p.m. and discharged an Anti-riot Weapon Enfield (ARWEN) twice. The man dropped the knife and was taken into custody, after being examined at the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital (AMGH) where no serious injury was diagnosed.
SIU Director Joseph Martino wrote that the officers actions made sense, given that the man was of unsound mind and a clear threat to himself and others.
"Given the knife in his possession, a direct physical engagement with the Complainant was effectively off the table," wrote Martino. "Rather, it made sense to attempt to temporarily incapacitate the Complainant from a distance with less-lethal force."