News Release
SIU Terminates Whitby Investigation as No Serious Injury Sustained
Case Number: 18-OCI-229
The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an incident that occurred earlier this month at the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) Whitby station.
On August 1, 2018, DRPS officers attended a home in Whitby to arrest two individuals in relation to an incident that occurred earlier that day at another residence. Both individuals, one male and one female, were transported to the police station. While the 19-year-old female was in the interview room, she began punching and head-butting the walls. She was later transported to hospital for treatment.
Acting Director Martino said, “The medical evidence indicates the woman did not suffer a serious injury. 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