News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Interaction between Woman and Toronto Police Service Officers
Case Number: 17-TCI-303
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred last month between a 45-year-old woman and Toronto Police Service (TPS) officers.
At approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, October 19, 2017, TPS officers attended the Inglewood Arms Hotel on Jarvis Street to deal with an individual. When the person of interest approached the passenger side of the police cruiser, both police officers exited the cruiser and approached her. The woman slowly ran from the officers. When the officers were approximately 12 paces behind her, the woman fell forward onto the roadway, landing on the front of her body. She was arrested, lodged in a cell and later taken to hospital when she complained of soreness. She was released from hospital shortly after.
In order to locate the woman, SIU investigators canvassed the downtown area, called a number associated with the woman, sent her an SMS online message and also spoke with a family member. These various attempts by the SIU to locate the woman were unsuccessful.
Director Tony Loparco said, “As the woman has no fixed address, SIU investigators have not been able to locate and interview her to determine what occurred, and to confirm whether a serious injury was sustained. As such, I have terminated the investigation into this incident.”
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