SIU clears Toronto officers in shooting death of man with air rifle near Scarborough school
Posted September 23, 2022 3:57 pm.
Last Updated September 23, 2022 6:23 pm.
The province’s police watchdog has cleared two Toronto police officers of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of a 27-year-old man near a Scarborough public school in the spring.
In late May, police were called to East Avenue near Lawrence Avenue for reports of a man with a gun near William G. Davis Public School.
The director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Joseph Martino, says the man was ordered to drop his weapon but raised it and pointed it at the two officers who fired at him.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and it was later determined that the weapon was an air rifle.
“Director Martino found no reasonable grounds to believe that either officer comported themselves unlawfully when they confronted and shot the man,” SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon said in a news release.
“As such, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case. The file has been closed.”
Parents who witnessed the May incident told CityNews they heard officers yell “show me your hands” three times before firing three or four shots.
William G. Davis Junior Public School, Joseph Howe Senior Public School, and Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute were all locked down as police investigated.
A spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) said social workers were at the schools to support any students in need.
No other injuries were reported.
