Charges laid against man shot by police during traffic stop in Burlington

Officers are on the scene of a shooting in the parking lot of a motel in Burlington on Sunday, March 8, 2026.

Charges have been laid against a 22-year-old man who was shot by police when he allegedly drove towards them during a traffic stop outside a Burlington motel earlier this week.

In a news release on Thursday, they announced the man, identified as Sebastian Barbe of no fixed address, is facing charges of attempted murder, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance – fentanyl.

The incident happened in the parking lot of the Crestwood Motel shortly before 12:30 a.m. on March 8.

According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which is looking into the incident, officers were in the parking lot conducting a traffic stop when a 23-year-old man allegedly drove towards them.

One officer shot at the man numerous times, the SIU said. The man was struck and was subsequently taken to a Hamilton hospital with serious injuries.

The SIU noted there was a female passenger in the vehicle at the time, and she was not physically injured.

Halton police said on Thursday that the man had been released from the hospital and held in custody pending a bail hearing.

Both the SIU and Halton police are conducting parallel investigations into the incident, with the former focused on the shooting and the latter on what transpired prior.