No charges for officer involved in fatal shooting at OPP detachment
Ontario's police watchdog has concluded there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against an officer who shot and killed a 43-year-old man at an OPP detachment in Morrisburg, Ont.
Babak Saidi, 43, was killed at the Morrisburg OPP detachment on Dec. 23, 2017, while reporting for his required weekly check-in after a 2014 conviction for assault and battery.
According to the Special Investigations Unit's (SIU) report, Saidi died less than two minutes after entering the detachment.
"The objective of the investigation was to determine what happened in the intervening 105 seconds between [Saidi's] entry into the detachment and the shooting of [Saidi]," according to the report, released Monday.
Told he was under arrest
When Saidi entered the OPP Morrisburg detachment to sign the register, he was informed he was under arrest for new criminal charges.
A few days before the fatal altercation, police had received a complaint claiming Saidi had confronted a salesperson outside outside his home with a small knife.
"The sales representative later told the OPP that [Saidi] had held a knife to her throat and threatened her," said the report.
According to the report, Saidi told officers that he was going outside to tell his father he was being arrested, but police grabbed him, believing he was trying to flee.
Struggle over Taser
A struggle broke out between Saidi and two police officers. "That caused all three parties to fall through the exit door and out onto the paved area in front of the detachment, where the struggle continued," according to the report.
One of the officers, who received a cut to his head after being struck with his portable radio, struck Saidi several times in an attempt to restrain him. When he was unable to do so, the officer deployed his Taser, but it didn't appear to have an effect on Saidi.
According to the SIU, Saidi managed to grab a hold of the Taser and it was discharged a second time.
Fearing that Saidi would overpower him, the officer unholstered his firearm, and when Saidi continued to come toward him, the officer shot Saidi five times.
The post-mortem report found that Saidi died as a result of three of those gunshot wounds: two that entered through the right side of his upper back and one in the back of his right shoulder.
The SIU investigates incidents involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
