News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Eye Injury After CEW Discharge During Brantford Arrest
Case Number: 24-OCI-429
The Special Investigations Unit found no reasonable grounds to believe a Brantford Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a 52-year-old man seriously injured during his arrest in Brantford in 2022. The SIU began investigating on October 8, 2024, after the Brantford Police Service notified the Unit of information they recently received of the incident.
On November 8, 2022, Emergency Response Team officers conducted a drug search at a residence in the area of Linden Avenue and Colborne Street East. They forced open the door and were met by the man, who ran to the door and attempted to force it closed. Through a crack in the door, an officer discharged his conducted energy weapon (CEW) in the direction of the man, one of the weapon’s probes striking him in the face.
The man was taken to hospital after his arrest where a CEW probe that had lodged under his left eye was removed. He was not diagnosed with any serious injury at the time. The following month, the man was diagnosed with hyphema, blood collecting in the eye, which subsequently resolved.
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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES