News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation as Man’s Collarbone Fractured Days Before Arrest in Barrie
Case Number: 24-OCI-501
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into a reported fractured left clavicle suffered by a 24-year-old man in the course of his arrest by Barrie Police Service officers last November.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, the man was arrested on November 21, 2024, in the parking lot of Bayfield Mall, in connection with the robbery of a taxi driver. During the arrest, the man resisted, and an officer deployed her conducted energy weapon. The man was pulled from the taxi, grounded and handcuffed. He was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with the fracture. The injury was found to have likely occurred a couple days prior and the man admitted he fell off his bike two days prior and injured his shoulder. He did not go to the hospital at that time.
On this record, Director Martino found it was apparent that the man alone was responsible for his injury, leaving patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer.
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