Ontario’s police watchdog rules Windsor officers acted lawfully in the 2024 fatal shooting of Jason West at a downtown Beer Store.
Watchdog Clears Officers of Wrongdoing
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared two Windsor police officers in the shooting death of Jason West, 57, outside a downtown Beer Store nearly a year ago. The decision, released Monday, found there were “no reasonable grounds” to believe the officers committed a criminal offence.
Incident at Goyeau Street Beer Store
The events unfolded on September 6, 2024, when police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a man armed with knives and acting erratically near Goyeau Street. According to the SIU, West had threatened a Food Basics employee and was linked to a stabbing earlier that day. Officers confronted him as he attempted to enter the Beer Store, where he was carrying two knives.
Escalation Inside the Store
Investigators said officers repeatedly ordered West to drop his weapons. After attempts to subdue him with a conducted energy weapon failed, the situation escalated. West reportedly told officers to kill him as he advanced toward them. One officer opened fire when West moved toward the exit, and further shots were fired after he left the store still armed.
SIU Findings on Use of Force
In his report, SIU director Joseph Martino concluded that the officers’ actions were justified, citing the immediate risk posed by West’s possession of knives and his agitated state. “Though the evidence indicates [West] was not himself on the day in question, he remained a danger given the knives in his possession and his level of agitation,” Martino wrote. He added that officers acted in the interest of public safety and used force proportionate to the threat.
Remembering Jason West
Following West’s death, community members created a small memorial outside the Beer Store with flowers, stones, and tobacco. Friends described him as a kind-hearted man who endured significant struggles. Steven Mull, a close friend, noted West was Indigenous and a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. Others, including staff at Windsor’s Downtown Mission, remembered him as someone with a great spirit who had long battled mental illness and substance use.
Community Impact and Ongoing Reflection
The case has renewed conversations about mental health, policing, and public safety in Ontario. While the SIU has closed its investigation, West’s story highlights ongoing challenges faced by vulnerable individuals in urban communities.
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