(Welland, Canada) - Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit found no reasonable grounds for criminal charges against Niagara officers in a fatal Welland shooting, while flagging a separate alleged conduct issue for review.

The SIU announced the decision October 23. Its director’s report, signed October 16, concerns the December 13, 2025 death of a 26-year-old man near Ontario Road and King Street. This is a decision on that earlier incident, rather than a new shooting.

Director Joseph Martino concluded that officers used firearms to protect themselves and others after the man fired at police. His analysis also addressed force used when an officer approached the man after the shooting.

A separate referral

Before closing the criminal file, Martino noted evidence of a possible Police Code of Conduct contravention involving language an officer allegedly used toward a civilian witness afterward. The report says the matter would be referred to the police service and the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency.

That referral is distinct from a finding that misconduct occurred. The criminal decision likewise should not be described as resolving every conduct question arising from the incident.

Primary sources: SIU’s October 23 release; director’s report, case 25-OFD-516.

Editorial illustration of an oversight case review; not the actual case documents or shooting scene.