Kenora OPP officer cleared by SIU after fatally shooting man in Anicinabe Park

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says there is "no basis" to charge police officers in the death of 57-year-old Bruce Wallace Frogg.

Frogg was shot and killed by an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer in Kenora during an incident at Anicinabe Park on June 25, 2024, Ontario's police watchdog said in its report released Friday.

Video footage from the cellphone of witnesses and a police cruiser camera showed Frogg holding two knives and walking toward the officers, said the SIU report.

An OPP officer shot Frogg with a rifle from a distance of six to eight metres, the report said.

After shooting Frogg, the officer sat in down in his police vehicle, where video footage captured him taking deep breaths and saying, "I don't know if that was the right call," according to the report. 

SIU director Joseph Martino said in his decision that he was satisfied the officer, referred to in the report as Subject Officer (SO) #2, used a reasonable amount of force in defence of himself and the other people present. 

"Nothing short of gunfire had the immediate stopping power required of the moment," said Martino. 

The SIU investigated the conduct of both SO #2, who shot Frogg, and an officer who assumed command of the operation soon after police first arrived. The commanding officer was referred to in the report as SO #1. 

Neither of the officers agreed to be interviewed by the SIU or release their notes, said the report.

In a statement released Wednesday Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler described the investigation as "severely flawed". He said the report leaves many unanswered questions and doesn't provide accountability to NAN or Frogg's family. 

"We reject the conclusion that the officers' actions were reasonable and justified," said Fiddler. 

"There is also no analysis in the report on Bruce's state of mind at the time, how his mental state could have led to his actions, or how officers are trained to respond to a person in emotional crisis," Fiddler said.

Fiddler said the SIU investigation only focused on the specific actions police took at the time, and didn't consider "signifcant and broader systemic issues." 

Frogg had previously struggled with addiction and significant trauma, his family previously told CBC. They said he was a survivor of the convicted sex offender and ex-priest Ralph Rowe. He also had multiple family members, including his father and other siblings, who attended residential school.