A police-dog handler with Peel Police will not face criminal charges for his actions involving a 16-year-old suspect, whom officers believed posed an immediate danger. The incident occurred on January 30th in Mississauga. The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) disclosed that the officer, unnamed in the report, utilized his police vehicle as the “only tool available” to control the situation. The teenager sustained a fractured right ankle and broken toe as a result of being struck by the cruiser after being knocked down.

The SIU, responsible for reviewing police conduct in Ontario, reported that officers responded to a call regarding individuals displaying handguns in a communal room near the Erin Mills Town Centre. Upon arrival, the suspects fled, and one was pursued to an intersection where the officer intentionally struck him with the cruiser.

The SIU documented that the officer maneuvered the cruiser toward the suspect, knocking him down, and inadvertently running over his leg. A subsequent search of the teen yielded an air-powered pellet gun, a pocket knife, and a machete. The teenager claimed to possess the weapons for self-defense due to frequent robberies.

The officer testified that he perceived the teen reaching into his waistband, fearing he was retrieving a gun just before the collision. Another officer alerted the possibility of a firearm being present.

SIU Director Joseph Martino concluded that the officer acted within reason given the perceived threat. Although the victim suffered severe injuries, Martino determined the officer’s response was justified in the face of potential lethal force.