A 19-year-old man is dead, and another is fighting for his life in hospital after they were shot by South Simcoe Police in Innisfil on Thursday.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which is now looking into the incident, said officers were called to a residence on Shoreview Drive around 3 p.m. for a family dispute.
Officers arrived and had an interaction with two 19-year-old men outside the home, the SIU said in a news release Thursday night. The province's police watchdog initially indicated that the individuals involved were youths.
At some point during the incident, the SIU said four officers discharged their firearms at the men. It is unclear what prompted police to shoot.
In a separate news release, South Simcoe Police said the two men suffered serious and life-threatening injuries.
The SIU said one man was taken to the hospital in Barrie, where he was later pronounced dead. The other man was transported to a hospital in Toronto with critical injuries.
The SIU has assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to the case.
South Simcoe Police said they won’t provide further details as the SIU has invoked its mandate. They have requested the Ontario Provincial Police to conduct a parallel investigation into the incident.
The circumstances that led to the shooting were not immediately known.
The SIU is an arm’s length agency which investigates the conduct of police that may have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault.
