Police watchdog clears officer who fatally shot man with BB gun at Danforth GO station (original) (raw)
Ontario's police watchdog will not lay charges against an officer who fatally shot a man at the Danforth GO station in December, saying the man had a BB gun that would have reasonably been thought to be real gun.
Special Investigations Unit says officer would have believed 'he was at imminent risk'
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Police were called to the Danforth GO station on Dec. 6, 2025 for a report of a person with a gun. Police approached the man and told him to raise his hands, but he soon turned and ran and pulled a BB gun, the Special Investigations Unit says. An officer then shot him seven times. (Jacob Estrin/CBC)
Ontario's police watchdog will not lay charges against an officer who fatally shot a man at the Danforth GO station in December, saying the man had a BB gun that would have reasonably been thought to be real gun.
The Special Investigations Unit released its report into the Dec. 6 shooting on Saturday.
In the report, director Joseph Martino says the man died of a gunshot wound inflicted by a Toronto police officer, but that there are "no reasonable grounds" to believe the officer committed a criminal offence.
"I am satisfied that the [subject officer] fired his gun to protect himself from a reasonably apprehended attack by the Complainant," the report reads.
"The 'gun', a BB gun, gave the appearance of an actual firearm and the SO would have had no reason to think otherwise."
Police arrived at the station around 1:10 a.m. after a report of a person with a gun.
Police approached the man and told him to raise his hands, but he soon turned and ran. Officers chased the man up a set of stairs and he pulled a BB gun, swinging it in the subject officer's direction, the report says.
The officer then pointed his gun at the man, ordered him to drop his weapon and fired seven times in his direction — four minutes after arriving at the scene.
"During that time, the officer would have believed that he was at imminent risk of death or grievous bodily harm from a firearm and that what was required was the Complainant’s immediate incapacitation. The option available ... with the best chance of doing just that was his gun," Martino wrote.
The report says the officer declined an interview with the SIU and did not share his notes, as is his legal right.
The SIU is an arm's length agency that investigates any incidents involving police that involve allegations of serious injury, death or sexual assault.