News Release
SIU Closes Investigation into Sudbury Incident
Case Number: 12-OCI-234
Mississauga (4 September, 2012) --- Based on the Special Investigations Unit’s (SIU) preliminary enquiries into an interaction between a Greater Sudbury Police Service officer and a 27-year-old man last month in Sudbury, SIU Director Ian Scott has terminated the investigation.
In the morning hours of August 10, 2012, the man was observed outside of the Sudbury courthouse, smoking a marijuana cigarette. When an officer approached him, he told the officer he had a medical certificate authorizing his use of cannabis. The officer detained and began to search him. When the man did not cooperate, the officer pushed him against the wall of the courthouse. The man began to have muscle spasms, but refused to be taken to hospital at that time. He was taken to hospital later that day.
The preliminary investigation determined that the man did not sustain any serious injuries. 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 (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