News Release
Man’s Hand Injury a Result of Punching Cell Wall; SIU Terminates Wasaga Beach Investigation
Case Number: 17-PCI-380
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained by a 19-year-old man last month in December of 2017.
At approximately 4 a.m. on December 30, 2017, Ontario Provincial Police officers with the Huronia West detachment arrested the man for impaired driving. The man was taken to the police detachment and lodged in a cell. While in the cell, the man punched the wall several times. As a result, the man was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with two fractured fingers.
Director Loparco said, “The evidence establishes that the man’s injuries were self-inflicted. Accordingly, 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