Police watchdog clears officer of wrongdoing after he fired at man who killed 2 cops in Innisfil

Ontario's police watchdog says a South Simcoe police officer didn't commit any crimes when he fired upon a man who had fatally shot two other police officers in Innisfil last October.

In a news release on Wednesday, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said the officer acted "lawfully" when he fired at the man, 22, in a home about 80 kilometres north of Toronto on Oct. 11, 2022. The SIU director's report says police were called by a family member in the residence asking to remove the man from the home. 

The SIU said the gunfire caused a "graze wound" to the man's lower left leg, but it did not kill him. The man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the SIU said.

"The SIU investigated as the man's death occurred in the context of an exchange of gunfire involving the officer," the release said. "The man fatally shot two officers and turned the gun on himself."

Const. Morgan Russell and Const. Devon Northrup were the officers killed in Innisfil after they responded to call about a disturbance in the area of 25th Sideroad and 9th Line at about 8 p.m. Russell and Northup were pronounced dead in hospital. The man died at the scene.

A third officer, the subject of the SIU's investigation, exchanged gunfire with the man. The report also notes the officer declined to be interviewed for the investigation, but authorized the release of his notes.

Joseph Martino, director of the SIU, said in the report that the third officer "was firing blind to an extent" into the basement where the man was, but there is no evidence to suggest the officer committed an offence.

"It was imperative in the moment that the [subject officer] do what he could to immediately deter the Complainant from continuing to fire his weapon, and the officer's gun was the only weapon at his disposal capable of doing that," Martino said.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police officers that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and the discharge of a firearm at a person.