Man Killed by Police at Regatta Plaza Had Weapons, Court Filing Says

The team tasked with investigating a fatal police shooting in St. John’s nearly four months ago says Omar Mohammed threw a hammer and reached for a knife before he was killed.

Omar Mohammed

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In a sworn affidavit, Bill Miller, investigator with the Serious Incident Response Team of Newfoundland and Labrador said a constable and cadet were called to the income support office on Elizabeth Avenue on June 12, to a report that Mohammed was there and he was wanted on a warrant.

Miller said the two officers approached Mohammed, 38, in a secure office area to make an arrest, but Mohammed took out a hammer from his bag and “attacked” the officer, “subsequently throwing the hammer” and injuring the constable’s arm and shoulder.

The officer discharged his Taser but it did not penetrate Mohammed’s clothes, Miller wrote, rending it unsuccessful.

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Miller said the attack continued until the constable “observed a knife in Mohammed’s waistband which Mohammed was reaching for.”

The constable shot Mohammed once in the torso, the document said.

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On June 1, police said Mohammed was wanted in connection with failure to comply with court orders.

Mohammed, 38, was convicted last year of sexual assault and placed on the sex offender registry for 20 years. He was also convicted on four counts that dated back to 2020, including assaulting a peace officer with a weapon and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Friends of Mohammed previously told CBC News that he was a child solider in war-torn Darfur and came to Canada for a new life.

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