News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Woman’s Reported Injury During Kitchener Arrest
Case Number: 24-OCI-514
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into a reported serious injury suffered by a 35-year-old woman who had been arrested by Waterloo Regional Police Service officers.
On November 30, 2024, the woman was arrested for shoplifting outside the Real Canadian Superstore in Kitchener. The woman was handcuffed, searched and placed in the back of the cruiser. The woman alleged an officer stomped on her foot and re-fractured it. Records showed she had previously fractured her right ankle the month prior to her arrest. Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including a review of body worn camera footage and the woman’s medical records, the woman did not sustain a fracture on the day of her arrest. There being no “serious injury” within the terms of the SIU’s statutory mandate, the office was without jurisdiction to investigate the incident.
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