SIU clears Toronto police officer in shooting death of man who stabbed another officer

Ontario's police watchdog has cleared a Toronto police officer in the shooting death of a 28-year-old man who seriously wounded another officer in a stabbing earlier this year.

Joseph Martino, director of the Special Investigations Unit, said in a report on the case on Saturday that the use of lethal force in this case was justified and the agency believes there are no grounds for proceeding with charges against the officer who fatally shot the man.

According to the report, the incident began on May 22 shortly after 9 p.m. when Toronto police were called to a condo at 1815 Yonge St., near Merton Street, south of Davisville Avenue. The call was for a man in mental distress.

The caller had told police that the man had schizophrenia and had struck his mother. Police indicated that the man "had come at them with a knife" and tried to attack one of the officers.

According to the SIU, the man repeatedly stabbed an officer and seriously injured him. Another officer discharged his conducted energy weapon at the man, armed with a knife, but the weapon failed to immobilize the man.

"During the melee, an officer discharged his firearm in the man's back. The man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced deceased," the SIU said in a news release on Saturday.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police officers that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person.