A man fatally shot by a London police officer near Richmond Row early Thursday morning has been identified by the province’s police watchdog as a 29-year-old from Lambton County.
The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) provided the minor update on Friday as investigators with the agency continued to probe the circumstances surrounding the shooting, which occurred around 4 a.m. in an alley on Richmond Street.
A post-mortem examination was held on Friday morning, according to the SIU. The name of the deceased is not being made public at the request of next of kin, said Kristy Denette, the agency’s spokesperson.
“The SIU’s policy is that the next of kin would provide consent whether or not the name would be released, so to respect their wishes, the SIU is not releasing the name of the deceased at this time,” Denette said.
One subject official and 14 witness officials have been designated as part of the investigation, Denette said. Four investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case.
According to the SIU’s initial release on Thursday, officers had been called to a break and enter at St. George and Mill streets, west of Richmond Street, just before 4 a.m. on 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.”
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 officer was injured and was later treated and released from hospital, Williams said.
Williams added that the force was committed to being “as transparent as possible with the public,” but said once the SIU became involved, the service was “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,” Williams said.
“We ask for your patience as the investigation unfolds.”
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked by the SIU to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529.
— with files from Jacquelyn LeBel