News Release

In the evening of October 31, 2024, OPP officers were dispatched to a residence in Vineland to check on a man who had reportedly ingested an unknown substance and who had threatened to harm himself. Officers arrived on scene and attempted to call the 52-year-old man without success. Some time later, the man exited his residence, entered his vehicle, and drove to the property’s entrance, stopping short of the police cruisers that had gathered in the area. The man exited his vehicle and approached the police with his hands in the air. He was told to stop his advance but continued to close the distance. When he was within a few metres of the officers, a dog handler released his dog. The dog bit the man and took him to the ground. The man was taken to hospital and treated for a serious dog bite wound to the inner right thigh. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and injury. 

Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.