The province's Special Investigations Unit has concluded there are no reasonable grounds to charge an OPP officer with any criminal offence in relation to the death of a 53-year-old Melancthon Township man last November.
The incident began at about 10pm on November 20 when police responded to an emergency assistance 911 call from a residence in Melancthon, near Shelburne.
The caller said she had been assaulted in her home by her husband, who was holding a shotgun.
About 45 minutes later the woman, her child and the child’s friend managed to flee the residence as officers took up positions around the home and kept their distance because there were firearms inside the residence.
The subject officer, a trained and experienced crisis negotiator, arrived shortly before 4am on November 21 and began efforts to reach the man in the house at approximately 7:15am.
It wasn't until about 7:45am, that the man finally answered the phone and despite assurances to the man that officers were there to help him and that he should surrender peacefully, smoke and flames could be seen coming from the home a short time later.
At about this time, officers reported hearing gunfire from within the home.
The man’s body was later recovered in the rubble of the home with firearms nearby.
