The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating after a Brantford Police Service officer discharged an Anti-Riot Weapon Enfield (ARWEN) at a 53-year-old man in Brantford on Friday.
Preliminary information suggests the following:
- At approximately 4:44 p.m. on March 4, 2022, emergency responders received a 911 call regarding a man in distress at a residence on Victoria Street.
- Brantford Police Service officers were dispatched, and the man threatened officers with a knife. One officer discharged an ARWEN and struck him with a round.
- He was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital. The man was released from hospital later that evening. He was not injured.
The man did not sustain any serious injury, but the SIU’s mandate was invoked because a police officer discharged an ARWEN, which is classified as a firearm. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, a firearm is defined as a barreled weapon from which any shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at: https://siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php
