Westboro shooting: woman arrested had gun

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The police moved in large numbers to the scene of the shooting, in the Westboro neighborhood of Ottawa

• Julien David-Pelletier (View profile)Julien David-Pelletier

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Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) confirmed Saturday that the woman who was taken to hospital following police shootings did indeed have a firearm in her possession. She is still in critical condition.

Citizens of the Westboro neighborhood are still recovering from the turmoil caused by the shooting that took place Friday afternoon on Avondale Street. A 25-year-old woman was arrested during a routine stop, but fled from the police who intercepted her.

At some point, the officer discharged his weapon and the woman was shot, the statement said. to the media on Friday.

The woman had a gun, the SIU confirmed Saturday in an email exchange.

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A rifle bullet knocked down resident Kristen Simcus' front door.

Neighborhood resident Kristen Simkus was not at the scene during the events. His front door nevertheless bears traces of the incident: a rifle bullet was fired towards his house, shattering a window.

My husband was in the basement at the time. He heard gunshots outside and went upstairs. That’s when he saw [the bullet hole in the window] of our front door, she says. Nothing like this ever happens in our neighborhood.

For retired RCMP Deputy Commissioner Pierre-Yves Bourduas, this kind of situation is fortunately infrequent. This is a situation that is out of the ordinary, that much is certain, because we are obviously talking about thousands of routine checks for police officers here in the greater National Capital Region, explains the 'expert.

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Former Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP, Pierre-Yves Bourduas. (Archive photo)

Mr. Bourdas explains that the use of force by a police officer must meet specific criteria.

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We are talking in particular if the life of the police officer is in danger or the lives of other citizens are in danger. The police officer must at that moment and can use force which is equal to be able to put an end to the threat against other citizens or against himself, he continues.

He also emphasizes the exceptional circumstances where force must be used by the police. The public must be assured that the police do not take such serious events lightly since the public and police forces in general must have a relationship of trust, concludes Mr. Bourduas.

Police officer shoots woman in Westboro neighborhood of Ottawa

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