One person is dead and three others have been arrested following a police-involved shooting and collision in Mississauga overnight, according to CBC News. Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, has taken over the investigation into what happened.
The incident happened near Winston Churchill and The Collegeway, in what is normally a quiet part of Mississauga. Several Toronto police unmarked cruisers were at the scene as the situation unfolded during the overnight hours, drawing a heavy police presence to the residential area.
The SIU confirmed that a Toronto police officer fired into the suspect vehicle, and that the gunfire killed the driver. The three suspects who had been inside the car were then arrested at the scene, according to the station's reporting on the shooting.
For neighbours, it was a jarring scene in an otherwise calm area. One resident said they heard a loud yell of "get off of me," followed by a huge crash. When they ran outside to see what had happened, they saw the officer performing CPR on the person who had been shot.
The Special Investigations Unit is called in any time an interaction between a police officer and a civilian results in the civilian being seriously hurt or killed, as it did in this case. The watchdog's involvement means the officer's actions will be independently reviewed.
As the investigation got underway, key questions remained unanswered. Asked why the officer opened fire and what threat he may have been facing, including whether the suspect vehicle had driven towards an officer, the SIU said it was too early to confirm those details.
Investigators were also asked whether the suspects at the scene had been armed, a point the SIU had yet to address. The unit indicated that its work was still in its early stages as it worked to piece together the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting.