Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after an 18-year-old man was fatally shot by police in London, Ont., who were responding to what the Special Investigations Unit describes as a “domestic violence investigation.”
A 17-year-old girl remains in hospital in critical condition due to injuries sustained in a stabbing.
London police said police were called to “a report of multiple people being stabbed by a male inside a residence” on Wellesley Crescent, near Trafalgar Street and Clarke Road, just before 11 p.m. Tuesday.
The SIU said police found a man “with a knife in his hand” as well as a girl and another man with stab wounds. Another man was also inside the home but was not injured, the SIU said.
The SIU said following an “interaction,” two officers shot at the man, who was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.
The injured 17-year-old girl is in critical condition in hospital while the injured man, 22, has since been released from hospital, the SIU said.
The SIU asks anyone with information about this case to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or provide information online at siu.on.ca.
London police said the suspect and victims “were known to each other” and even though there will be a heavy police presence in the area on Wednesday, there are no outstanding suspects and no ongoing risk to public safety.
Chief Thai Truong issued a statement late Wednesday morning highlighting the issue of intimate partner violence in the community and across Ontario.
“Last night’s events highlight the dedication and bravery shown daily by our members at the London Police Service (LPS) in safeguarding our citizens and our city,” he wrote.
“We remain incredibly proud of our frontline officers, who risk their lives to ensure our safety.”
Truong added that 95 municipalities in the province, “including the City of London, have recognized intimate partner violence as an epidemic.”
He said women and girls constitute over 80 per cent of intimate partner violence victims among cases reported to police and that “we acknowledge that intimate partner violence is significantly underreported.”
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