Cop cleared after man shot in Scarborough raid
Posted July 5, 2013 1:39 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The province’s police watchdog has cleared a Toronto police officer of any crimes after a man was shot in the leg during a raid in the spring.
On April 24, the Emergency Task Force (ETF) raided a basement apartment on Wainfleet Road, near Eglinton and Midland avenues, and managed to get most of the people out, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said.
The officers found one man left, who appeared to be sleeping on a couch, and tried to restrain him by pressing a riot shield on his chest.
The man opened his eyes, sat up and swung his feet and arms at the officers, who then used their Tasers to try to subdue him.
The man continued to fight back and grabbed an MP5 submachine gun hanging from an officer’s neck and apparently shot himself in the ankle.
The officer in question was then knocked off his feet, while other ETF members got the suspect under control and handcuffed him.
The suspect had his wound bandaged at Scarborough General Hospital.
SIU director Ian Scott said after getting results from a forensic analysis of the gun, he believes the officer didn’t shoot the suspect.
“The complainant put up a significant amount of resistance when he was woken up,” Scott said.
“I am of the view that the complainant likely caused the gun to accidentally discharge when he grabbed it in an attempt to fend off the officers.”
