The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

2- The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 21, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Staff recommendation due April 16 Police cleared in another school. Continued from page 1 Michele Cerny directed her anger Tuesday night only students living from Coronation Street northeast at the Town for "jamming" far too over to Ninth Line would stay put at many houses into the area. She said Joshua Creek. All students heading a school should have been built. But Wards 5 and 6 (Oakville) into Grade 8 next fall would also stay trustee Bruce Jones said the blame at Joshua Creek. But JK to Grade 7 students resid- solely rests on the board, not the ing between Trafalgar and town. "This situation with Joshua Coronation Street across Northridge Creek is our fault," added Jones. "Well your bad planning is our over to Prince Michael and up to crisis," Cerny fired back. Dundas Streets would be redirected K i e r a n to Falgarwood O'Reilly objected School. "Where do we go from to the short The estimated here? I don't know right notice given for 116 children who now." this public meetlive between ing. Parkmount across to Oakville Ward 5 and 6 "It's reprehenRockingham, south- school trustee Bruce Jones sible that a flyer east of Woodington down to Summerhill, attending JK be put in my children's backpacks to Grade 5, would head to Sheridan the day before March Break. I can't Public School while the Grade 6s understand the why or the what. You and 7s in that area would trek to haven't given us the ability to adequately respond," he added. Falgarwood. Applause from the packed gymnaClaire Zadorozny moved her two children into the public school two sium followed his statement. In response, board superintendyears ago, from a private school. "We decided we wanted to buy ent Parfeniuk said a recommendainto the public system," she said. tion, based on the input from the But she is considering moving her evening forum, will be disseminated Senior Kindergartener and her child to parents before April 3. "I'm not going to go to my office in Grade 4 back into the private system if they are forced to move to and say I don't give a damn, my shooting death By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Parent Julia Dumanian numbers will stay as is. But I'm not going to say you won. That's not fair either," said Parfeniuk. Trustee Jones said he will sift through all of the written and recorded comments from the evening presentation, in meetings with school principals, vice-principals and supervisory officers to find a palatable solution. "Where we go from here? I don't know right now," he said. A staff recommendation is expected to be presented to trustees at the next board meeting on April 16. oyster perpetual explorer ii in stainless steel MacLachlan College OPEN HOUSE Tuesdays are school tour Open House days 9:30 to 11:00 AM "Come and experience the MacLachlan Magic" MacLachlan College is a co-educational university prep school Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 We create leaders with a passion for learning. 337 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario (905) 844-0372 ext. 235 registrar@maclachlan.ca www.maclachlan.ca After more than three months of investigating, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has concluded criminal charges will not be brought against the Halton police officers involved in the December shooting death of Steve Remian. The civilian agency, which investigates cases of serious injury or death where police are involved, issued its decision on Wednesday, noting that six investigators and three forensic investigators were used to determine exactly what happened that morning. "These officers were dealing with a distraught, inconsolable and depressed man, who that morning was preoccupied with self-destructive thoughts," said James Cornish, SIU director. "The officers obviously had to isolate this man from other civilians given the fact that he was armed with a firearm. They could not retreat." The incident, Halton's first fatal police shooting, took place on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 at 1:30 a.m., when two residents encountered a distraught and crying Remian in the parking lot of the Tim Hortons at Trafalgar Road and Randall Street. In issuing its decision, the SIU also released details of that fateful night. The SIU said Remian made statements about hurting himself and others. After he showed them a rifle, they called the police. Remian fled the scene in his car, but police caught up with him in the area of Cairncroft and Lakeshore Road and, after a brief pursuit, Remian turned into Wedgwood Park where his vehicle became stuck. Police surrounded the car and one officer flattened two of the car's tires by shooting them. This was done to stop Remian from freeing his vehicle. The SIU said what followed were concerted negotiations on the part of the police to persuade Remian to put his rifle down and give up. It was during these negotiations that Remian got out of the car with his rifle, which the SIU investigation revealed was loaded. Remian had more than 400 rounds of ammunition available in the gun, in his pockets and in the car. As the negotiations contin- ued, Remian held the muzzle of the rifle under his chin and on more than one occasion it appeared to those involved that he was trying to summon up the will to end his life. At 2:35 a.m. an officer made a final attempt to bring a peaceful end to the incident and fired a Taser at Remian in order to incapacitate him. Unfortunately, the Taser's probes missed a small patch of exposed skin the officer had been aiming for and hit Remian's clothing where they were ineffective. Remian pulled the probes from his body and leveled his rifle at the officers, who opened fire, striking Remian eight times and killing him. The SIU investigation that followed has concluded Halton police did all they could to keep Remian alive given the situation. "They did not rush the car," said Cornish. "Instead they chose what appears to have been their only reasonable option and that was to attempt to convince him to disarm and surrender. The officers carefully considered their use of force options and attempted to end this incident first by use of negotiation and tactical communication and then by less lethal force through the Taser. Even then the Taser was not deployed until it appeared to the officer that there was a reasonable prospect that it would be effective, and also not until the man's finger appeared to be off the trigger of the rifle he was holding." "The SIU investigation confirms what I have always believed: that our officers' actions were reasonable and justified, and that they did everything possible to convince the subject to disarm and surrender peacefully, in accordance with their training," said Halton Police Chief Gary Crowell in a statement issued Wednesday. "I am proud of the professionalism, integrity and sound judgement of these officers and all who were involved. This was a very real tragedy that resonated throughout our community and our service," said Crowell. "It is important that not only the public, but also the police officers involved, be reassured that they took the proper actions in responding. The SIU provides that vital independent investigation."