Officers declined to participate

The province’s Special Investigations Unit took 290 days to wrap up its investigation of the shootout at a Fenwick apartment building that left two officers and a man wounded. “The length of each investigation varies and depends on a number of factors, including how long it takes to gather and analyze evidence,” said Jason Gennaro, a spokesman for the SIU. “In many instances, the unit must also await receipt of reports from outside organizations — for example the Centre of Forensic Sciences or from the Coroner’s Office.” SIU detailed the steps the unit took in its investigation. The unit assigned seven investigators and three forensic investigators to the incident. As is their legal right, both subject officers declined to participate in an SIU interview and did not provide a copy of their duty notes, he said. “We are happy with the outcome of the investigation,” said Cliff Priest, president of the Niagara Region Police Association. “We are not happy with the length of time it took for the report to be issued. We know the investigation was over a while ago but it was caught up in red tape.” Evidence gathered by the SIU included interviews with 18 civilians and 13 witness officers (including two officers who were present throughout the entire incident and shooting) and a review of their duty notes. It also included a review of the duty notes of a further three witness officers; a scene examination; police communication recordings; cell phone records; forensic analysis of the firearms, shell cases, and bullets fragments and medical evidence.