News Release
SIU Concludes London Vehicle Injuries Investigation
Case Number: 13-OVI-022
Mississauga (12 February, 2013) --- The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Joseph Martino, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge a London Police Service officer with any criminal offence in relation to the injuries sustained by a 37-year-old male in January of 2013.
The SIU assigned three investigators, two forensic investigators and a collision reconstructionist to probe the circumstances of this incident. As part of the investigation, two witness officers and three civilian witnesses were interviewed. The subject officer consented to an interview with the SIU and provided a copy of his duty notes.
The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Thursday, January 24:
• At approximately 7 p.m., the subject officer, driving an unmarked cruiser, stopped a Mazda 5 and attempted to arrest the driver for driving while under suspension. The man stopped his vehicle near the intersection of Egerton Street and Homan Street and the officer approached the driver’s side door. Following a brief verbal exchange between the officer and the driver, the driver accelerated away from the officer down the roadway. The officer re-entered his cruiser and followed the Mazda 5.
• On Thompson Road, between King Edward Avenue and Pond Mills Road, the man lost control of his vehicle, struck a streetlight poll and careened into a ditch.
• The man was taken to the London Health Sciences Centre Victoria Hospital for treatment of fractures to his ribs and pelvis.
Acting Director Martino said, “The officer was in the lawful discharge of his duty when he stopped the man’s vehicle and attempted to arrest him for driving while under suspension. The evidence is clear that the officer’s involvement with the man from the initial stop to the collision occurred over a very short period of time and distance, and that neither vehicle came into contact with the other. In the circumstances, I am satisfied on reasonable grounds that the officer exercised a level of care that fell within the limits prescribed by the criminal law.”
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