A police watchdog says a Toronto police officer was justified in shooting a man accused of killing another officer with a stolen snowplow.

Ian Scott, the director of the Special Investigations Unit, said on Wednesday that there were no grounds to charge the officer that shot Richard Kachkar during his arrest.

The SIU arrived at its decision after interviewing 20 civilian witnesses, looking through photographs and videos and sifting through forensic information.

On January 12 at about 5:20 a.m., Kachkar allegedly stole a pickup truck with a large snow plow from the area of Dundas and Parliament Streets.

Russell attempted to stop the vehicle when he was fatally struck by the escaping truck at about 6 a.m. The vehicle continued on a rampage through the city.

On Keele Street, south of Annette Street, the stolen plow collided with the front end of an oncoming garbage truck and was quickly pinned by Emergency Task Force vehicles.

According to the SIU's findings, a number of officers approached the truck as Kachkar refused repeated requests to get out of the vehicle.

It was at this time that four officers shot their tasers at Kachkar.

However, according to the report, after officers put down their weapons to remove him from the vehicle, Kachkar allegedly slammed on the gas and crushed an officer's leg against another vehicle.

The report added that at this point, the officer, who was the subject if the inquiry, shot at Kachkar, hitting him in the right rear shoulder and left arm.

"In my view, the subject officer was justified in the use of potentially lethal force when he discharged his firearm twice at Kachkar," said Scott. "He knew that the complainant engaged in reckless behaviour by ramming another vehicle, he saw the deployment of the CEWs (tasers) and Kachkar's continued non-compliance even after their use, and he then witnessed Kachkar's vehicle pinning a fellow officer between the stolen vehicle and a garbage truck.

"The subject officer was justified in shooting at Kachkar and causing his injuries," Scott said.

Russell, an 11-year-veteran of Toronto Police Service, was remembered at a public funeral during which officers from around the country gathered and marched together in Toronto.

Russell, 35, was a married father of one young son and was described by his colleagues as a dedicated officer.

Kachkar is currently in prison and is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Russell.