Regional News
November 21, 2008 11:16 AM
Joe Fantauzzi, Staff Writer
The province’s Special Investigations Unit has cleared a York Regional Police detective of committing a criminal offence in the May shooting of a man in Toronto, yorkregion.com has learned.
On May 20, at about 11 a.m. York police officers tried to arrest Justin Thompson, 22, for breaching his release conditions relating to a prior arrest.
The officers had been watching Mr. Thompson and followed him from Ajax to West Hill Drive and Kingston Road in Scarborough.
The officers saw a bicyclist ride up to the side of Mr. Thompson’s car and speak to him, the SIU said.
Three York officers in unmarked vehicles tried to box in the car and the bicyclist fled.
Mr. Thompson tried to move his car through a space between the police cars, ignoring demands to stop and ramming one before he drove east along Kingston Road.
A shot was fired by the officer during the attempt to arrest Mr. Thompson.
Mr. Thompson later arrived at a Scarborough hospital where he was treated for a non-life-threatening chest wound and released into York police custody.