The province’s police watchdog is investigating an incident that took place on Thursday afternoon in Bancroft.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is looking into the call which saw a Bancroft OPP officer discharge an Anti-Riot Weapon Enfield (ARWEN) at a 51-year-old man who was in distress.
Police responded to the call around 1:30 p.m. and found the man brandishing a knife.
The preliminary investigation states there was an interaction and the anti-riot weapon was discharged. A second officer discharged a taser.
The man was arrested under the Mental Health Act and was released from hospital with no injuries.
The SIU’s mandate was invoked because a police officer discharged an ARWEN, which is classified as a firearm. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, a firearm is defined as a barreled weapon from which any shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person.
