No charges laid against cop who responded to Al-Hasnawi shooting

Ontario’s police watchdog says no charges will be laid against a Hamilton police officer in relation to the 2017 death of 19-year-old Yosif Al-Hasnawi.

The Hamilton teenager was shot in the abdomen on Dec. 2, 2017 after he tried to help a stranger who was being accosted by two men.

Witnesses at the scene said paramedics assessed Al-Hasnawi’s wound and kept reassuring bystanders the teen had only been shot by a pellet gun. The witnesses allege both police and paramedics claimed the teen was faking his injuries and believed he could stand up on his own.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) began looking into the incident after receiving a complaint from Al-Hasnawi’s family regarding the actions of first responders at the scene, including police.

Hamilton police confirmed there was a 38-minute delay between the ambulance’s arrival on scene and when the teen was brought to hospital.

Al-Hasnawi was pronounced dead at 9:58 p.m., 19 minutes after his arrival at St. Joseph’s.

A criminal investigation was launched by the Niagara Regional Police Service into how emergency personnel handled the incident.

The SIU said their investigator did not re-interview any witnesses but instead relied on the video-recorded interviews done by Niagara police.

The police watchdog concluded the officer’s actions didn’t contribute directly or indirectly to Al-Hasnawi’s death because police had transferred care of the man to the paramedics and therefore “the responsibility for his care clearly fell to them.”

Two Hamilton paramedics were fired from their jobs in connection with the incident and have been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life. The alleged shooter, Dale King, has been charged with second-degree murder and James Matheson with accessory after the fact in relation to the shooting.