The family of two teens shot by police in the summer of 2024 has launched a $17.5-million lawsuit against the South Simcoe Police Service, four of its officers, and the Ontario Provincial Police.
Police were called to a home on Shoreview Drive in Innisfil, east of Barrie, on Aug. 15, 2024, following reports of a family dispute. According to the Special Investigations Unit , twin brothers Liam and Dylan Hatton were in an SUV and refused to come out of the vehicle. Shots were fired by the police when the vehicle began moving towards them, striking Liam in the head and killing him. The police watchdog then said Dylan put the vehicle in reverse and was also struck by gunfire from the police. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Following the shooting, the Ontario Provincial Police conducted a parallel investigation into the incident and ended up charging Dylan Hatton with four counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
The subsequent SIU investigation cleared four South Simcoe officers of any wrongdoing in the shooting, saying “the officers acted with the purpose of defending themselves and their colleagues when they fired their weapons.”
Lawyer Asha James called the events “devastating” for the family, adding that the lawsuit seeks accountability for Liam’s death.
“They called for help during a mental health crisis and instead were forced to experience the worst day of their lives,” James said in a statement. “The civil process presents an opportunity for the family to ensure that police conduct will be put under closer scrutiny.”
The parents of Liam and Dylan say the police treated the situation like a “tactical operation” rather than a call for help, adding it has shattered their confidence in the police.
“We never imagined that calling the police for help would end with them killing Liam and almost killing Dylan,” they said in a statement. “The officers were not interested in listening to us when we told them what we knew about our sons and how best to help them.
“They dehumanized Liam, Dylan, and the rest of our family. This should never have been the result of a call for help.”
James added that the lawsuit also seeks to look into the OPP’s conduct, noting the charges against Dylan were later withdrawn on Oct. 5, 2025, after the Crown determined they would not be able to prove the case “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
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