News Release
Due in Part to Man’s Refusal to Cooperate, SIU Terminates Hamilton Investigation
Case Number: 18-OCI-211
The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in July of 2018 in Hamilton.
On July 18, 2018, The Hamilton Police Service was made aware of a suspicious vehicle parked on the street in the area of King Street East and Parkdale Avenue South. Responding officers queried the vehicle licence plate and determined the vehicle had been reported stolen. When police officers attempted to arrest the 36-year-old vehicle occupant, he refused to exit the vehicle. As a result, officers shattered vehicle windows in order to remove the man from the vehicle. After a struggle, the man was eventually handcuffed and transported to hospital.
The SIU immediately dispatched investigators to interview the man and to obtain from him an authorization for the release of his medical information. The man refused to speak with investigators. Approximately one week later, SIU investigators again attempted to speak to the man, but these efforts were to no avail.
Acting Director Martino said, “The man does not wish to cooperate with the SIU at this time and there is no reason to suspect the force used by the officers was anything other than reasonably necessary in the course of effecting a lawful arrest. 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