The province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer who discharged an Anti-Riot Weapon Enfield (ARWEN) at a man in Goderich.
According to the SIU, police were called at 8:30 p.m. on June 28, 2023, to a home in the area of Victoria Street North and Anglesea Street to investigate a reported break-in.
Police said that when they arrived they found a 46-year-old man running from the residence.
Following an interaction, one officer deployed his ARWEN at the man. The suspect was not seriously injured, but the SIU's mandate was invoked because an ARWEN is considered to be a firearm.
After an investigation, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined that "there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer who fired the ARWEN committed a criminal offence."
The file has now been closed.
