Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after four people were injured and a 33-year-old man was shot by police at a shopping plaza in Ottawa’s east end.
In a news release Saturday morning, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said Ottawa police received multiple emergency calls around 11:15 p.m. Friday that a man with a weapon was assaulting people and damaging vehicles near St. Joseph Boulevard and Place D’Orléans Drive.
The independent civilian agency confirmed that officers confronted a man. An officer then shot the man multiple times, and police used two stun guns.
The SIU did not say if he was carrying a weapon at the time he was shot.
The 33-year-old was arrested and taken to hospital in “critical-stable condition,” according to the SIU.
‘Looked like he was dead’
The four people who were injured were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Ottawa police told CBC an investigation is ongoing but would not provide further details.
Nearby resident Jacques Parent said he heard a loud bang and went outside to see more than a dozen police cars in the shopping plaza’s parking lot across the street.
He said he overheard police shouting at the man to drop his weapon and then heard four loud pops before police arrested the man and took him to hospital.
“He just stiffed out,” Parent said. “It kind of looked like he was dead.”
Parent added he was surprised by the outbreak of violence in his neighbourhood.
“You see this on TV,” he said. “You see streakers here. Not people attacking others.”
The SIU investigates incidents involving police where there’s been a death, serious injury or sexual assault, or if shots have been fired.
Anyone with information about Friday’s incident is asked to contact the SIU at 1-800-787-8529.