News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Broken Wrist During Arrest in St. Catharines
Case Number: 24-OCI-360
Other News Releases Related to Case 24-OCI-360
The Special Investigations Unit found no reasonable grounds to believe a Niagara Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the arrest and serious injury of a 57-year-old man in St. Catharines. On August 26, 2024, police received a 911 call after a man grabbed a knife and threatened a plumber that had arrived to an apartment to conduct repairs. Officers sought to arrest the man for assault with a weapon and other criminal offences.
Director Joseph Martino found the force used by the officer during the arrest, namely, discharging his conducted energy weapon once, was legally justified. The officers had cause to be concerned about their safety and the safety of the public. The man, reportedly of unsound mind, was armed with a dangerous weapon in a public space and had already threatened at least two other members of the public.
While Director Martino accepted that the man’s fractured right wrist was the result of his fall to the ground, there were no reasonable grounds to believe that it was attributable to unlawful conduct on the part of the officer.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES