Brantford Police Service officer cleared of wrongdoing in arrest of knife-wielding man

An Anti-riot Weapon Enfield (ARWEN) and baton projectile were photographed in this undated image. (Courtesy: Special Investigations Unit)

The Special Investigations Unit has cleared a Brantford Police Service officer of any criminal offences after a non-lethal weapon was used to subdue a suspect.

Officers were called to the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Wayne Gretzky Parkway and Henry Street on July 1, 2025. They were told a man at the gas station was “swiping a knife at people.”

A report from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said when officers arrived, they found the man walking on a pathway near Wayne Gretzky Parkway and Carter Street. Initially, the man was seen carrying a knife, but he then folded it and put it into his pants pocket.

The SIU report said the footage captured by the police vehicle’s camera showed the officer getting out of her vehicle with her service pistol drawn. She told the man to stop. A second officer also arrived and took out his Conducted Energy Weapon, commonly referred to as a taser, and told the man to get on the ground.

A third officer arrived seconds later and a non-lethal weapon, known as an Anti-riot Weapon Enfield or ARWEN, was fired, sending the man to the ground. He was handcuffed, searched and taken back to a police vehicle.

An ARWEN is a weapon that is capable of firing several different kinds of projectiles, including plastic bullets, tear gas and batons.

The suspect in the Brantford incident, a 41-year-old man, was hit in the abdomen with a baton projectile and was taken to Brantford General Hospital. He was treated for an abrasion to his abdomen, but the SIU report said it was not considered to be a serious injury.

“The officer had reason to believe that the complainant was armed with a knife and was prepared to use it,” said the report, approved by Joseph Martino, the director of the Special Investigations Unit. “A hands-on engagement was off the table as it would unduly imperil the officers’ lives and safety. In the circumstances, the use of a less-lethal weapon to temporarily distract the complainant, allowing a safe opportunity for the officers to approach and take him into custody, was a reasonable option.”

The SIU is called in the investigate all incidents involving police officer that result in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person. The ARWEN is considered a firearm.