News Release

In the early morning of September 19, 2025, police were called to a vacant building in Hamilton to investigate a reported break and enter in progress. The first officer to arrive exited his cruiser and soon after located a man with a bike beside a wall of the building, and another man in the process of exiting a window feet first. The officer took hold of the man by the chest as he was climbing out the window and told him he was under arrest. He told the man with the bike not to move and directed the other man to lay down. The man refused to get on the ground of his own volition and was forced down by the officer. A struggle ensued, during which time the man’s head struck the wall and began to bleed. The officer called EMS but the man refused treatment. He was cited for trespass and released. Later that day, the man attended hospital and was diagnosed with two left-sided rib fractures. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and injuries.

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