News Release
Use of Alleged Force by Officer Fell Within Permitted Level; No Charges to Issue for Arrest of Man in St. Catharines
Case Number: 18-OCI-006
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OCI-006
On January 10, 2018, Niagara Regional Police Service officers attended a residence in St. Catharines for a domestic assault. The officers located a 34-year-old man in an upstairs bedroom of the residence. The man resisted arrest and a struggle ensued between him and two officers. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against a NRPS officer in relation to a serious injury sustained by the man.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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