Toronto officer arrested, charged in Niagara Falls shooting death

Ontario’s police watchdog has charged a Toronto police officer in connection with a fatal shooting outside a Niagara Falls hotel last summer.

The Special Investigations Unit says Constable Andrew Lawson was arrested yesterday and charged with manslaughter. He was later released with conditions to appear in a St. Catharines court next month.

SIU Director Joseph Martino says there are reasonable grounds to believe Lawson committed a criminal offence in the July 30, 2025, shooting death of a 40-year-old man outside a Stanley Avenue hotel.

The officer was part of a Parole Enforcement team attempting to arrest a man wanted for violations when an interaction occurred and a gun was fired. The man later died in hospital.

(Written by: Brandon Warby)