KAWARTHA LAKES-The Special Investigations Unit has concluded there are no reasonable grounds to charge officers who fatally shot Haliburton man.
On July 15, 2020, Leslie Hegedus passed away following an exchange of gunfire with two Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers in Dysart, Ontario. The two officers – SO #1 and SO #2 – were identified as subject officers for purposes of the SIU investigation. The Director of the SIU, Joseph Martino, has concluded there are no reasonable grounds to believe that either SO #1 or SO #2 acted other than lawfully throughout this incident.
Police say on July 15, 2020, Mr. Hegedus attended a grocery store where he fought and allegedly assaulted staff members over wearing a mask. When he left the store, he got into his vehicle and started driving. As he was driving police say he damaged other vehicles. An OPPÂ officer initiated a pursuit but it was called off by the communications centre.
A query was conducted on the licence plate of the vehicle that Mr. Hegedus was driving, and it linked to a residence located on Indian Point Road, Haliburton Highland.
When police officers approached the residence, two shots were fired at them according to police (no police officers were reported being struck).
The scene was contained, and a Critical Incident Command was set up. Tactical Response Unit (TRU) police officers eventually attended. Emergency Response Team (ERT) Subject Officer (SO) #2 and SO #1 discharged their firearms, striking Mr. Hegedus in the lower right extremity.
Mr. Hegedus was taken to the Haliburton Highland Health Services (HHHS) hospital via ambulance.
At 1:09 p.m., the OPP advised the SIU that Mr. Hegedus had been pronounced dead at 11:47 a.m.
An SIU Forensic Investigator photographed the scene and measured it for forensic mapping purposes. The firearms and shell casings were retrieved. The trees in the search areas were examined and photographed for ballistic trajectory analysis. A metal detector was used to conduct a grid search in the area.
The area was canvassed for witnesses and closed-circuit television cameras.
The SIU says there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case, and the file is closed.
