SIU investigating after man shot by Peel police in Brampton

Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after a 35-year-old man was seriously injured after being shot by police in Brampton Wednesday morning. 

The Special Investigations Unit, which investigates police-involved shootings, says officers responded to a family dispute call in an apartment building unit in the Malta Avenue and Ray Lawson Boulevard area just before 10 a.m. 

A spokesperson for the SIU says a resident called police, concerned about their family member and how he was acting. 

"There were some family members in the unit, and there was a bit of a disturbance," said Kristy Denette. "Preliminary information suggests that the man has some mental health conditions." 

When officers entered the unit, they were approached by a man holding a knife, she says.

Denette says one officer at the scene fired a single shot at the man's abdomen.

He was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

She says investigators at the scene are canvassing for witnesses, looking at CCTV footage in the building, and reviewing body-worn camera footage.

Peel police Const. Tyler Bell says police will be conducting a parallel investigation into the circumstances that led to the shooting. 

He says police have been to that unit before.

"It's unclear at this point if there's a nexus between those interactions, if it's the same individual that we responded to in prior instances, but it's obviously something top of mind for investigators here and for the SIU as well," said Bell.

He says there's no information yet about the relationship between the family members, but that the victim lives in the unit. 

Peel police said in a social media post that no officers were injured in the incident.

'It's really scary'

The building's superintendent told CBC Toronto he had seen the man sleeping in the laundry room before.

"At first I thought he was a homeless guy," said Francis Essien.

"I asked him, 'Do you live here? Why do you sleep here? Because people are complaining to me that you'll be sleeping here, which is not acceptable."

Essien says the man is nice, calm, and usually walks alone around the building.

Resident Jasna Aitchison says says the man has been living in the building for at least 10 years.

"He's very nice, quiet, keeps to himself. I've never seen any outbursts," she said.

Aitchison says she was terrified to hear what happened. 

"This is a government-subsidized building and neighbourhood, so there are a lot of vulnerable adults and youth," she said.