Following a coroner’s inquiry into the fatal shooting of a man in Niagara by police, a jury has suggested enhanced support for family members, witnesses, and officers involved in such incidents. The incident involved a Niagara police constable fatally shooting Martin Gordyn, 27, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on January 5, 2021. The sequence of events leading to the shooting involved a police pursuit of Gordyn, who was driving a stolen truck from Hamilton to Niagara. The pursuit culminated in officers forcing Gordyn’s truck off the road and surrounding him at Lundy’s Lane and Corwin Avenue, where he was shot by an officer while still inside the truck. The officer believed Gordyn was reaching for a gun but later discovered he was rummaging through a bag.
Gordyn was pronounced dead at a hospital later that day, with the inquest jury determining that a gunshot caused his death. As required by Ontario’s Coroners Act, an inquest was mandatory due to Gordyn’s death involving an officer. During the inquest process, various parties, including police, correctional facilities, hospitals, coroners, and family members of the deceased, present questions to witnesses, which can range from eyewitnesses to experts and institutional personnel.
The inquest jury’s role is to determine the cause of death and provide non-binding recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. A separate review conducted by Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, found no reasonable grounds to charge the officer involved in Gordyn’s shooting with a crime. The director of the SIU, Joseph Martino, explained in a review published in December 2021 that the officer shot Gordyn while he was believed to be reaching for a gun, though it turned out he was holding a butane torch. The officer, perceiving the situation as a threat, acted in self-defense.
The jury issued four recommendations following the inquest, including suggestions for enhanced support for officers involved in critical incidents and trauma-informed assistance for family members and witnesses in police-involved deaths. Additionally, they proposed a review of vehicle tinting legislation to improve public and police safety. The recommendations are aimed at addressing the challenges faced by officers and the impacted families, aiming to prevent similar tragic outcomes in the future.