York Regional Police say a 34-year-old man critically injured in an officer-involved shooting in Markham was “actively” attacking a woman inside a condo unit when police arrived on the scene early Wednesday morning.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred at around 4:40 a.m. at a condo building on Buchanan Drive, near Warden Avenue and Highway 7 in Markham’s Unionville neighbourhood.
According to SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon, initial information suggests that police were called to the building after a report of a disturbance inside a unit in the building.
“A tenant of the building contacted police to report hearing a dispute coming from another unit,” Hudon said.
“York Regional Police officers were dispatched to the scene. While outside the unit, officers heard sounds of a disturbance coming from inside the unit. They entered, a short time later, one officer discharged his firearm at a man. The man was struck.”
Police previously said that the man was “actively” attacking a woman inside the unit at the time of the shooting. Hudon said early information from police suggests that the woman suffered stab wounds.
Both the man and woman were rushed to a trauma centre with serious injuries. The injuries the man sustained are life-threatening, Hudon said, while the female is currently listed in stable condition.
The SIU will be probing the circumstances surrounding the interaction between police and the man who was shot. It has designated one subject official and two witness officials to the investigation.
The arms-length civilian agency is called in to investigate any time police are involved in an incident that results in death, serious injuries, allegations of sexual assault, and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.
Three investigators, as well as three forensic investigators, have been assigned to the case.
Speaking to reporters outside the condo building on Wednesday morning, Const. Kevin Nebrija could provide an approximate age for the man and woman and said police are still investigating the relationship between the two.
Nebrija added that the man and woman were the only two people inside the unit at the time of the shooting.
He said investigators are continuing to canvass for witnesses at the condo building.
“It’s important to know that there is no threat to public safety as this is an isolated incident and there is no outstanding suspects,” he said.
