News Release
SIU Closes Investigation into Falling Injury Sustained by Woman in Ingersoll
Case Number: 12-PCI-247
Mississauga (31 August, 2012) --- Based on the Special Investigations Unit’s (SIU) preliminary enquiries into the injury sustained by a 49-year-old woman in Ingersoll last week, SIU Director Ian Scott has terminated the investigation. The incident involved officers with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Western Region Detachment.
Three investigators and one forensic investigator from the SIU probed the circumstances surrounding this incident. The investigation determined that at approximately 10:30 p.m. on August 24, 2012, officers attended a residence on King Street East after receiving a call. The officers went upstairs where they found that a screen had been removed from a window. A civilian informed the officers that a woman had jumped from the window and fled on foot. Officers found her hiding nearby. She was taken to hospital and diagnosed with a broken elbow.
There is no evidence that the officers caused or contributed in any way to the injuries sustained by the woman. Given the Unit’s mandate, which is limited to serious injuries and deaths that may have resulted from criminal offences committed by police officers, there is nothing further to investigate. Accordingly, the SIU investigation has been terminated.
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