Billboards in memory of Liam Hatton are towering over Highway 400 and GO routes through Innisfil, Barrie and Bradford. They are marking two years since the teenager was fatally shot during an encounter with police. The message visible to drivers on the highway reads: “In loving memory of Liam Hutton. A beautiful son, brother, nephew, cousin and best friend who was tragically killed August 15, 2024. Your smile, your humour and your light will always shine in our hearts.” The signage coincides with the second anniversary of the Aug. 15, 2024, shooting at the Hatton family’s Shoreview Drive home in Innisfil. “It has been two years, and we miss Liam every single day. His killing left a hole in our family that we will never recover from. These billboards are our way of honouring his memory and making sure that he is remembered for the beloved son, brother, nephew, cousin and best friend that he was,” said the Hatton Family in a statement to CTV News Friday. The electronic billboards will be on a rotation showing Liam at four different times in his life with the same in memoriam message. The images will be visible to the hundreds of thousands of drivers and passengers through August 21. The family is planning a small tribute at the foot of the sign at the Barrie South GO Station. The Hatton family has filed a $17.5 million civil lawsuit against the South Simcoe Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police. It alleges South Simcoe police officers used excessive force in the shooting that killed 19-year-old Liam Hatton and injured his twin brother Dylan, who was taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition. “The family decided to file this lawsuit because they want accountability and they want answers,” said Asha James, managing partner at Falconers LLP in a previous interview with CTV News. South Simcoe police officers had responded to a call for help from the Hatton family at their Shoreview Drive home around 3 p.m. that day. The lawsuit claims the family called police to report a domestic disturbance as the twins were in the midst of a “mental health crisis.” According to the claim, the family wanted police to help de-escalate the situation. The encounter instead ended in gunfire. Liam and Dylan got into an SUV and attempted to leave the family property. Liam was shot in the head and killed. Dylan then took control of the vehicle and was shot five times by four officers, suffering life-threatening injuries. It also raises questions about a separate OPP investigation conducted after the shooting. Following that investigation, Dylan was charged with four counts of assaulting a police officer, plus assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving. Those charges were dropped in October 2025. The family’s lawsuit challenges the police response and alleges officers failed to properly de-escalate the situation before lethal force was used. The province’s Special Investigations Unit investigated the shooting and later cleared the officers of criminal wrongdoing. In its report, the SIU concluded officers faced the “very real possibility” of being run over when Dylan attempted to reverse the SUV after Liam had been shot. The SIU found the officers’ use of force was “not unjustified.” South Simcoe police and the OPP have acknowledged the lawsuit but declined to comment. The allegations made in the civil claim have not been proven in court. With files from CTV’s Mike Arsalides
