News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation in Waterloo
Case Number: 06-OCI-210
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) was notified that on December 2, 2006, a man was seen slumped over the steering wheel in his stopped car on Erbsville Road in Waterloo. A WRPS officer responded to the call and arrested the 48-year-old man for impaired driving. The man was brought to Division 3 in Waterloo where he allegedly refused to provide a breath sample. He was then transferred to Division 1 in Kitchener. While lodged in a cell, there was a disturbance involving this man and as a result, an ambulance was called. He was then taken to Grand River Hospital.
While at the hospital, the man was released from police custody on a promise to appear. He left the hospital a short time later without seeing a doctor. The man then called the WRPS alleging that he had suffered serious injuries as a result of his involvement with the police.
As part of the investigation, SIU investigators interviewed the complainant, his physician and some of the involved police officers. Investigators determined that the man suffered soft tissue injuries only - no broken bones or other serious injury.
As a result, Director James Cornish terminated the investigation into the circumstances of the man's complaint. He said, "Given the absence of a serious injury, this man's complaint falls outside the scope of the SIU's legislated mandate."
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