News Release
SIU Lays Assault Charges Against Police Officers in Relation to Brockville Arrest
Case Number: 20-OCI-116
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Joseph Martino, has reasonable grounds to believe that two Brockville Police Service (BPS) officers committed a criminal offence in relation to the arrest of a 59-year-old man in May of 2020. As a result, Director Martino has caused a charge to be laid against each of the officers.
The SIU investigation determined that on May 19, 2020, the two officers were dispatched to an apartment building located on Belvedere Place for a dispute call. In the backyard of the building, the officers became involved in an interaction with one of the individuals involved in the dispute. The man was arrested, and subsequently transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with serious injuries.
As a result of the SIU investigation, BPS Constable Jordan Latham and BPS Constable Adam McNish have each been charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm, contrary to s. 267(b) of the Criminal Code.
The officers are required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at 41 Court House Square in Brockville on October 23, 2020.
The matter is now properly before the courts. In consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, the SIU will make no further comment pertaining to this investigation.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations