News Release
SIU Director Ends Hamilton Arrest Investigation in which Man Lost a Tooth
Case Number: 17-OCI-248
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has ended an investigation into an arrest in Hamilton in which several officers grounded a 29-year-old man and the man lost a front tooth.
Around 11:00 p.m. on September 8, 2017, Hamilton Police Service officers responded to a break and enter call near Cannon Street East and Birch Avenue. The officers encountered a man, who fled when officers attempted to arrest him. Moments later, three officers brought the man to the ground and arrested him. The man was taken to hospital and treated for a missing front tooth.
Director Loparco said, “I have terminated the investigation into the incident on September 8, 2017, as the Complainant did not suffer a serious injury.”
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