News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Investigation into Man Injured While Fleeing Police in Ottawa

Case Number: 26-OCI-156   

Mississauga, ON (22 July, 2026) ---
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe an Ottawa Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with facial fractures and brain bleed suffered by a 35-year-old man during his arrest. On April 1, 2026, Ottawa Police Service officers were deployed to assist the Ontario Provincial Police in the arrest of the man, who was subject to arrest warrants and was in Ottawa. 

The man was handcuffed after exiting a residence, and during a search he took off. During a foot pursuit, an officer grabbed his right arm, and they fell to the ground.

Director Martino found it unclear whether the fall was from an intentional tackle by the officer, or the man losing his footing. If it was a tackle, he was unable to reasonably conclude it was uncalled for in the circumstances. If it was a fall, it was best characterized as the product of the man losing his balance with only minimal force applied by the officer, owing largely to him running away with his arms handcuffed behind the back.

Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): 

If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by an incident under SIU investigation and would like support, the Affected Persons Program is here to help. You can reach us at 1-877-641-1897. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7, every day of the year.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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.

Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES