News Release
Man’s Injury a Result of Jumping Over Fence; SIU Terminates Brantford Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-082
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated the investigation into the serious injuries sustained by a 27-year-old man last month in Brantford.
On Thursday, April 18, 2019, Brantford Police Service (BPS) officers were dispatched to a residence to investigate a domestic matter. A man from the home was outside when he saw police arrive. In an effort to evade them, the man ran and jumped over a fence. The man was taken into custody and transferred to cells at the BPS headquarters. The following morning, he was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with fractures to both his left and right calcaneus (heel bone).
Interim Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, it is apparent that the man fractured his heel bones when he jumped over a fence and landed on the ground. On this record, it is apparent at this time that the responding officers neither caused nor contributed to the man’s injuries in any fashion that could attract criminal liability. Accordingly, as there is patently nothing that would further a criminal investigation of the officers, the investigation is hereby discontinued and the file is 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