A police watchdog has found there was no criminal offence committed by Bancroft OPP during an incident on January 20th.
The Special Investigation Unit’s (SIU) mandate was invoked because an officer discharged a classified firearm. The incident involved an Anti-Riot Weapon Enfield, or ARWEN, which is a weapon often used to fire tear gas or smoke canisters.
During the incident, police responded to a report of a man in distress in a residence in Bancroft. Officers said the man had a knife and while attempting to negotiate, the officer fired the AREWN and an energy weapon at the man. He was transported to hospital and was released later with no serious injuries.
Director of the SIU Joseph Martino says there are no reasonable grounds to believe that a criminal offence was committed during the incident. The file for the incident has been closed.