News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation in Toronto; Injury to Youth Caused by Own Actions
Case Number: 17-TCI-239
The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has discontinued an investigation into a September 2017 incident involving Toronto Police Service officers and a 16-year-old male in the area of Victoria Park Avenue and Finch Avenue East. The male suffered a fractured right wrist during the incident in question.
The male was arrested in a field in the late afternoon of September 1, 2017 following his flight on foot from police officers, in the course of which he scaled over several fences while trying to escape apprehension. The male notified the officers of his injury upon his arrest, and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. It is clear upon the SIU’s initial inquiries that the male’s injury occurred when he landed awkwardly from one of the fences.
Acting Director Martino explained, “The investigation has been discontinued and the file closed as there is manifestly nothing to investigate as far as any potential criminal liability is concerned on the part of the involved officers. The evidence is clear: while the male was fleeing police at the time of the injury, he alone is responsible for its infliction.”
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