SIU Director’s Report - Case # 23-PCI-461

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Mandate of the SIU

The Special Investigations Unit is a civilian law enforcement agency that investigates incidents involving an official where there has been death, serious injury, the discharge of a firearm at a person or an allegation of sexual assault. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, 2019 (SIU Act), officials are defined as police officers, special constables of the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers under the Legislative Assembly Act. The SIU’s jurisdiction covers more than 50 municipal, regional and provincial police services across Ontario.

Under the SIU Act, the Director of the SIU must determine based on the evidence gathered in an investigation whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that a criminal offence was committed. If such grounds exist, the Director has the authority to lay a criminal charge against the official. Alternatively, in cases where no reasonable grounds exist, the Director cannot lay charges. Where no charges are laid, a report of the investigation is prepared and released publicly, except in the case of reports dealing with allegations of sexual assault, in which case the SIU Director may consult with the affected person and exercise a discretion to not publicly release the report having regard to the affected person’s privacy interests.

Information Restrictions

Special Investigations Unit Act, 2019

Pursuant to section 34, certain information may not be included in this report. This information may include, but is not limited to, the following: 
  • The name of, and any information identifying, a subject official, witness official, civilian witness or affected person. 
  • Information that may result in the identity of a person who reported that they were sexually assaulted being revealed in connection with the sexual assault. 
  • Information that, in the opinion of the SIU Director, could lead to a risk of serious harm to a person. 
  • Information that discloses investigative techniques or procedures.  
  • Information, the release of which is prohibited or restricted by law.  
  • Information in which a person’s privacy interest in not having the information published clearly outweighs the public interest in having the information published. 

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Pursuant to section 14 (i.e., law enforcement), certain information may not be included in this report. This information may include, but is not limited to, the following: 
  • Confidential investigative techniques and procedures used by law enforcement agencies; and 
  • Information that could reasonably be expected to interfere with a law enforcement matter or an investigation undertaken with a view to a law enforcement proceeding. 
Pursuant to section 21 (i.e., personal privacy), protected personal information is not included in this report. This information may include, but is not limited to, the following: 
  • The names of persons, including civilian witnesses, and subject and witness officials; 
  • Location information; 
  • Witness statements and evidence gathered in the course of the investigation provided to the SIU in confidence; and 
  • Other identifiers which are likely to reveal personal information about individuals involved in the investigation. 

Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004

Pursuant to this legislation, any information related to the personal health of identifiable individuals is not included.

Other proceedings, processes, and investigations

Information may also have been excluded from this report because its release could undermine the integrity of other proceedings involving the same incident, such as criminal proceedings, coroner’s inquests, other public proceedings and/or other law enforcement investigations.

Mandate Engaged

Pursuant to section 15 of the SIU Act, the SIU may investigate the conduct of officials, be they police officers, special constables of the Niagara Parks Commission or peace officers under the Legislative Assembly Act, that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person.

A person sustains a “serious injury” for purposes of the SIU’s jurisdiction if they: sustain an injury as a result of which they are admitted to hospital; suffer a fracture to the skull, or to a limb, rib or vertebra; suffer burns to a significant proportion of their body; lose any portion of their body; or, as a result of an injury, experience a loss of vision or hearing.

In addition, a “serious injury” means any other injury sustained by a person that is likely to interfere with the person’s health or comfort and is not transient or trifling in nature.

This report relates to the SIU’s investigation into the serious injuries of a 32-year-old man (the “Complainant”).

The Investigation

Notification of the SIU [1]

On November 6, 2023, at 12:52 p.m., [2] the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) contacted the SIU with the following information.

On November 5, 2023, at 7:37 p.m., the OPP Dryden Detachment received a 911 call in which the male caller refused to identify himself. The telephone number was traced back to a room at the Chalet Inn Motel. Three officers, Witness Official (WO) #1, WO #2 and Officer #1, attended the address and observed a male [now known to be the Complainant] and female exiting a third-floor apartment onto a balcony. The officers knew the Complainant and the female, and were aware they were on conditions not to associate with each other. As WO #1, WO #2 and Officer #1 moved towards the balcony, the Complainant was observed going over a railing and attempting to lower himself down to the second-floor. The Complainant either slipped or jumped, fell to the parking lot below and was arrested for bail violations. When the Complainant was stood up, he felt pain in his feet and legs. The Complainant was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with two fractured ankles. The OPP subsequently determined that the Complainant was allowed to associate with the female on her consent and he was released.

The Team

Date and time team dispatched: 2023/11/07 at 9:51 a.m. [3]

Date and time SIU arrived on scene: 2023/11/07 at 10:00 a.m. [4]

Number of SIU Investigators assigned: 3
 
Number of SIU Forensic Investigators assigned: 0

Affected Person (aka “Complainant”):

32-year-old male; interviewed

The Complainant was interviewed on November 14, 2023.

Civilian Witnesses (CW)

CW #1 Interviewed
CW #2 Interviewed

The civilian witnesses were interviewed on November 14, 2023.

Involved Official

Officer #1

Witness Officials

WO #1 Interviewed; notes received and reviewed
WO #2 Interviewed; notes received and reviewed
 
The witness officials were interviewed on November 13, 2023.

Evidence

The Scene

The events in question transpired on and around the third-floor balconies of the Chalet Inn Motel, 184 Government Street, Dryden.

Physical Evidence

On November 13, 2023, at 12:10 p.m., SIU investigators arrived at the Chalet Inn Motel in Dryden. The motel was observed to be an older-style motel. The motel had three floors of units and an unattached building beside the units which contained the manager’s office. There were black-coloured wrought iron railings running in front of the rooms and a divider of wrought iron railings between the rooms. The staircase was also wrought iron.

Video/Audio/Photographic Evidence [5]

Communication Recordings and Computer-aided Dispatch (CAD) Report

[6]

At 8:36:30 p.m., November 5, 2023, an OPP dispatcher had a man on the line who would not confirm whether he needed police, fire or ambulance to attend before he disconnected the call.

At 8:47:58 p.m., police officers started knocking on doors at the motel, including the room occupied by the Complainant.

At 8:50:12 p.m., the Complainant and a female were identified.
 
At 8:51:38 p.m., the Complainant was in custody.

At 8:52:34 p.m., police officers requested an ambulance.

At 8:52:47 p.m., the dispatcher noted that the Complainant might have broken his ankle and had jumped off a balcony.

Materials Obtained from Police Service

Upon request, the SIU obtained the following materials from the OPP between November 10, 2023, and December 28, 2023:
  • CAD Report;
  • General Occurrence Report;
  • Communications recordings;
  • Notes – WO #1; and
  • Notes – WO #2.

Incident Narrative

The evidence collected by the SIU, including interviews with police and non-police eyewitnesses, gives rise to the following scenario. 

In the evening of November 5, 2023, the OPP Dryden Detachment received a 911 call from a male who refused to identify himself and disconnected the line. The police traced the number to a room located at the Chalet Inn Motel, 184 Government Street, Dryden. Officers were dispatched to investigate.

Officer #1, WO #1 and WO #2 arrived on scene at about 7:44 p.m. The motel manager was consulted and the officers subsequently made their way to a room located on the third-floor via exterior staircases. They knocked on the door but received no response. WO #2 and Officer #1 made their way to the rear of the room.

The Complainant was an occupant of the room together with his girlfriend and another couple. With the officers’ arrival, he decided to exit the rear door of the room, presumably to avoid apprehension. The Complainant was making his way across balcony divider railings when he noticed WO #2 advancing towards him. Turning to head in the other direction, the Complainant observed Officer #1 and came to a stop before climbing over the railing. WO #2 yelled at him not to jump but to no avail. The Complainant lowered himself, hung temporarily by the hands from the bottom of the balcony and then either fell or jumped to the ground below.

Officers approached the Complainant and Officer #1 arrested him for being in violation of a release order preventing him from being with his girlfriend. He was taken to hospital and diagnosed with fractures of both feet.

Relevant Legislation

Sections 219 and 221, Criminal Code -- Criminal Negligence Causing Bodily Harm

219 (1) Every one is criminally negligent who
(a) in doing anything, or
(b) in omitting to do anything that it is his duty to do,
shows wanton or reckless disregard for the lives or safety of other persons.

(2) For the purposes of this section, duty means a duty imposed by law.

221 Every person who by criminal negligence causes bodily harm to another person is guilty of 

(a) an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 10 years; or 
(b) an offence punishable on summary conviction.

Analysis and Director's Decision

The Complainant was seriously injured in a fall from a height in Dryden on November 5, 2023. As OPP officers were in the vicinity and took the Complainant into custody after the fall, the SIU was notified of the incident and initiated an investigation. The investigation is now concluded. On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any OPP officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the Complainant’s injuries.

The offence that arises for consideration is criminal negligence causing bodily harm contrary to section 221 of the Criminal Code. The offence is reserved for serious cases of neglect that demonstrate a wanton or reckless disregard for the lives or safety of other persons. It is predicated, in part, on conduct that amounts to a marked and substantial departure from the level of care that a reasonable person would have exercised in the circumstances. In the instant case, the question is whether there was a want of care on the part of OPP officers, sufficiently egregious to attract criminal sanction, that caused or contributed to the Complainant’s injuries. In my view, there was not.

Officer #1, WO #2 and WO #1 were lawfully present at the motel throughout the series of events culminating in the Complainant’s fall. They had responded to a disconnected 911 call and were in the execution of their duties when they knocked on the room to ensure everyone was okay.

It is also apparent that the officers comported themselves with due care and regard for the Complainant’s health and safety. In the brief time that they engaged with the Complainant at the rear of the motel, the officers mentioned they only wanted to talk to him and then yelled at him not to jump before he fell. There was simply no time or opportunity for the officers to have done anything to prevent the Complainant’s descent. Once on the ground, the officers acted promptly to arrange for medical care. On this record, aside from being the impetus for the Complainant’s ill-advised action, it is evident that Officer #1 and his colleagues did nothing that caused or contributed to the fall that could attract criminal sanction.

For the foregoing reasons, there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case. The file is closed.


Date: March 5, 2024

Electronically approved by

Joseph Martino
Director
Special Investigations Unit

Endnotes

  • 1) Unless otherwise specified, the information in this section reflects the information received by the SIU at the time of notification and does not necessarily reflect the SIU’s finding of facts following its investigation. [Back to text]
  • 2) Eastern Time. Unless otherwise noted, all times set out in this report are in Central Time – the time zone in which the incident took place. [Back to text]
  • 3) Eastern Time. [Back to text]
  • 4) Eastern Time. [Back to text]
  • 5) The following records contain sensitive personal information and are not being released pursuant to section 34(2) of the Special Investigations Unit Act, 2019. The material portions of the records are summarized below. [Back to text]
  • 6) The times in this section of the report are in Eastern Time. [Back to text]

Note:

The signed English original report is authoritative, and any discrepancy between that report and the French and English online versions should be resolved in favour of the original English report.