SIU clears Niagara officers in Christmas Day shooting

Ontario’s police watchdog cleared two Niagara Regional Police officers of any wrongdoing in a shooting on Christmas morning in St. Catharines.

At about 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2020,  Hamilton Police asked their Niagara counterparts to be on the lookout for a 30-year-old suspect in an assault.

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At about 2:45 a.m., officers found the suspect’s car on Vansickle Road in West St. Catharines. They managed to stop it using a stop stick.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says there was an interaction outside of the vehicle and police used their weapons.

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The man was taken to hospital for treatment.

A knife was found at the scene.

The SIU has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that either officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting.