The province’s police watchdog has called off an investigation into a dramatic police shootout and standoff in Richmond Hill after determining that there were no serious injuries involved.
The incident began at a gas station at Bayview Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive at around 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 27.
An officer noticed a person of interest driving a vehicle and followed him into the gas station to follow up on a breach of his conditions.
When the officer approached the 34-year-old man to try and arrest him, he ran, the SIU said. An exchange of gunfire then ensued at the gas station before the man hopped back in his vehicle and took off.
The man then drove to his home where he barricaded himself.
The officer pursued and called in backup. Police then surrounded the home and evacuated several nearby residences.
The standoff lasted late into the night. When police threw tear gas into the home to try and get the man to come out at around 9:40 p.m., he fired a long-gun at officers, according to the SIU.
Eventually, the man walked out of the home and surrendered at around 10:30 p.m.
The Special Investigations Unit, which probes any incident involving a death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault, invoked its mandate the same day.
However the SIU said Monday that it is no longer looking into the incident after determining that nobody was seriously injured.
York Regional Police have said that Anoshirvan Shirizadeh is facing a list of charges, including attempted murder, assault with intent to resist, dangerous driving and a slew of weapons-related charges.
