London, Ont. police officer responding to break-in fatally shoots man: SIU

The Special Investigations Unit says it is investigating after a man was fatally shot by an officer with the London Police Service.

According to the SIU, officers were called to a break and enter at St. George Street and Mill Street in London, Ont., just before 4 a.m. Thursday.

“An officer saw one of the men in an alley on Richmond Street. There was an interaction and an officer discharged his firearm at the man,” the SIU said in a statement.

“The man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:24 a.m.”

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London Police Service Chief Steve Williams said in a statement that the incident involved “an interaction between a citizen and two of our officers” and that “during the interaction, a police firearm was discharged and a citizen was transported to hospital” where they later died.

One of the officers was also injured, he added, and was treated and released from hospital.

Williams added that the force is committed to being “as transparent as possible with the public,” but once the SIU is involved, the service is “prevented, by legislation, from discussing details of the matter.”

“On behalf of the women and men of the London Police Service, I wish to extend my sympathies to the loved ones of the deceased. We ask for your patience as the investigation unfolds.”

The SIU reports that an autopsy is scheduled for Friday and that four investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case.

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked by the SIU to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529.