News Release
Man’s Refusal to Cooperate Leads SIU to Terminate Ottawa Investigation
Case Number: 18-OCI-164
The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in June of 2018 between a 24-year-old man and Ottawa Police Service officers.
In the afternoon hours of June 3, 2018, officers responded to a reported assault at a bar in the area of Elgin Street and Lewis Street. Upon police arriving, the 24-year-old man fled on foot from the area. Officers followed the man on foot, and subsequently arrested him and took him to the police station. The man was then taken to hospital for treatment.
SIU investigators attempted to speak to the man several times, through both the man’s mother and the man’s legal counsel. On July 20, 2018, the man’s legal counsel informed the SIU that the man would not be providing a statement to the SIU.
Acting Director Martino said, “The man does not wish to cooperate with the SIU at this time and there is simply insufficient foundation upon which to proceed with an investigation. 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