News Release

In the morning of December 11, 2025, London Police Service officers attended an apartment to compel a man to attend hospital for a psychiatric examination. An individual who knew the man had become increasingly concerned for the his well-being. The man refused to leave his apartment and threatened police that he would jump from the balcony and harm them or himself if they entered his residence. Negotiations continued. Emergency Response Unit members proceeded to rappel from the roof to the man’s balcony, to prevent him from using it to jump from the building. As the officers were reaching the balcony railing in question, they were confronted by the man. With an aluminum baseball bat in hand, the man began to swing at the officers as they were still hanging from their rappel lines, striking one of them in the left hand. A struggle ensued on the balcony, and the man was eventually arrested. He was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with multiple facial fractures. 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 injuries.

     

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