News Release
SIU Terminates Caledonia Investigation
Case Number: 19-PCI-052
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred last month in Caledonia.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. on March 10, 2019, police officers received a call from a woman who was threatening suicide. Police attended the home, and with the woman’s mother, they entered the room of the woman. After speaking with the woman, the police officers apprehended her under the Mental Health Act. As the woman was being escorted, she bit one of the police officers in his shoulder area and began violently struggling with the police officers and her mother as they tried to control her. When the woman kicked one of the police officers, the officer delivered a knee strike to the woman’s leg. The knee strike struck the mother’s hand instead, which was on her daughter’s leg. The mother later attended hospital.
Interim Director Martino said, “Based on the medical evidence, it is apparent following the SIU’s preliminary investigation that the mother did not suffer a serious injury within the SIU’s statutory mandate. Accordingly, the investigation is hereby discontinued and the file closed.”
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