Retraction and apology

An opinion entitled “From casinos to cages” published in the January 31, 2013 edition of The Silhouette and an article with the headline “March calls for higher police accountability” published in the February 7, 2013 edition of The Silhouette indicated that Hamilton police were responding to a noise complaint when an officer shot and killed Andreas Chinnery. The opinion of January 31, 2013 also stated that Mr. Chinnery was murdered and both pieces indicated that Mr. Chinnery was acting in self defence when he was shot by Hamilton police officer, Michael McNaughton. The Silhouette retracts these statements and acknowledges that an investigation of the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) came to different conclusions. Specifically, the SIU concluded that police were responding to a complaint that Mr. Chinnery was damaging his apartment with a baseball bat and making verbal threats. Further, the SIU investigation did not conclude Mr. Chinnery was murdered or acting in self defence. Instead, the SIU concluded that constable McNaughton was justified in using lethal force because he had a reasonable belief he would be harmed or killed by Mr. Chinnery. In addition to the SIU investigation, a lawsuit brought by Mr. Chinnery’s family against the Hamilton Police Services Board and a coroner’s inquest concerning the death of Mr. Chinnery are on-going and have not yet come to any conclusions regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr. Chinnery’s death.

The Silhouette apologizes for any harm these statements may have caused to constable McNaughton.