SIU clears officer after pharmacy shots

A Toronto police officer who shot a 34-year-old man holding a replica semi-automatic gun during a standoff at a downtown pharmacy will not face criminal charges, the Special Investigations Unit said Tuesday.

According to a news release, police on Jan. 7 found a man fitting the description of a robbery suspect in Rexall Pharma Plus, 345 Bloor St. E. The suspect pulled out what appeared to be a handgun and pointed it at officers repeatedly before he was shot in the leg and stomach, and taken to hospital. The fact that the man’s gun was a fake “was not apparent” to anyone, SIU acting director Joseph Martino said in the release.