News Release
Man’s Injury Sustained when He Jumped off Roof; SIU Terminates Ottawa Investigation
Case Number: 18-OCI-202
The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the falling injury sustained by a 34-year-old man last month in Ottawa.
Shortly before midnight on July 6, 2018, Ottawa Police Service officers attended a home for a dispute in the area of Kirkwood Avenue and Carling Avenue. While speaking with one of the men involved in the dispute, that man pointed out to the officers the second man. The second man suddenly ran towards a nearby school and climbed the roof. From the ground, the officers attempted to encourage him to get down from the roof. Shortly after, the man jumped off the roof and fell to the ground. He was transported to hospital for treatment of a foot injury.
Acting Director Martino said, “The man was solely responsible for the injury he suffered during a bid to evade police, and it is abundantly clear that no police officer caused or contributed to the man’s 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