SIU probes fatal shooting by York cops

The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating after plainclothes York Regional Police officers shot two men in Markham on Friday, killing one.

According to the SIU, the officers, who were in unmarked police vehicles, were investigating a white vehicle near Eyer Drive and Calvert Road around 7 a.m. There was a confrontation between the occupants of the vehicle and the officers, during which two officers fired, hitting two men, the independent watchdog said. One man died at the scene and the other has been transported to hospital, where he is in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. According to York police, two men and a woman have been arrested, including the man in hospital.

At the scene on Friday afternoon, SIU trucks and police vehicles could be seen on the residential street amid police tape.

Speaking to reporters nearby, York police Const. Maniva Armstrong said officers had been investigating six reported home invasion robberies in Markham between Sept. 26 and Nov. 21. Armstrong could not confirm whether the York officers were shot at before firing themselves. She also couldn’t say for sure if police are looking for any other suspects who are not in custody.

As is typical in cases involving the SIU, the identity of the killed individual has not been released.

The watchdog has assigned seven investigators and four forensic investigators to the case.

The SIU is called to investigate when police actions may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the use of a firearm.

Police are urging witnesses or anyone who may have video surveillance or dashcam footage of the shooting to contact the SIU at 1-800-787-8529.