SIU clears officers in self-inflicted death investigation of man in Barrie
Barrie police officers will not face any criminal charges after the province's police watchdog completed an investigation into the self-inflicted death of a man in February.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) released its report on the incident on Saturday.
Just after noon on Feb. 4, Barrie police received a 911 call from staff at a grocery store on Blake Street, where a woman had fled from a man's vehicle after he committed "serious and violent" offences against her, according to the media release.
The woman told responding officers that the man was in possession of firearms and grenades.
The SIU said the man's police record described him as "unpredictable."
At around 2 p.m., the man's vehicle was located on Kempenfelt Drive without anyone inside after officers used the woman's phone that she left to track his location. Officers followed marks in the snow leading to a wooded area off the north shore of Kempenfelt Bay, where they found the man holding a shotgun to his head.
The SIU said officers pleaded with the man to drop the gun, but the 35-year-old man shot and killed himself within 15 seconds of the encounter.
The SIU said there were no reasonable grounds to proceed with criminal charges against Barrie police and has ended its investigation into the case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Minimum wage rises in six provinces, but is it enough?
Amid a cost-of-living crisis driving up food bank visits and economic anxiety, the minimum wage increased in six provinces today – but both advocates and critics fear it may not be enough to tackle the overarching problem.
Half of millennials and Gen Z living paycheque-to-paycheque in Canada while stressing about climate crisis: survey
Struggling under the rising cost of living and an ever mounting fear of the climate crisis, young Canadians don’t see a positive future for themselves right now, according to a recent national survey.
Couple and dog killed by bear at Banff National Park
Two people are dead after a bear attack in Alberta's Banff National Park.
Ontario expands pharmacists' prescription powers to include 6 more common ailments
Ontario residents can now access treatment and medication for six more common ailments at pharmacies across the province.
Taylor Swift watches Travis Kelce's Chiefs take on the Jets at MetLife Stadium
Taylor Swift couldn't just shake off another chance to watch Travis Kelce on the football field. The 12-time Grammy Award winner arrived at MetLife Stadium about 40 minutes before kickoff Sunday night to watch Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs take on the New York Jets.
Federal prisoner with terminal illness granted parole on compassionate grounds to die outside of jail
A terminally ill federal prisoner, who has been fighting for a compassionate release to die outside of jail, has been granted day parole.
'A giant in life': Saskatchewan Roughriders icon George Reed passes away, aged 83
George Reed, one of the most prolific running backs in Canadian Football League (CFL) history and a legend of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, has passed away. He was 83.
5 dead after single-vehicle crash near Swan River, Man.
Swan River RCMP are investigating a single-vehicle crash that killed five people in western Manitoba Saturday afternoon.
Tim Wakefield, who revived his career and Red Sox trophy case with knuckleball, has died at 57
Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballing workhorse of the Red Sox pitching staff who bounced back after giving up a season-ending home run to the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs to help Boston win its curse-busting World Series title the following year, has died. He was 57.