News Release
Man Sustained Injury after Punching Cell Door; SIU Discontinues Brantford Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-106
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained by a 41-year-old man last month in Brantford while he was lodged in a police station cell.
At approximately 8 p.m. on May 14, 2019, the man was arrested by Brantford Police Service (BPS) officers and transported to police headquarters. Following the booking process, the man was lodged in a cell. Shortly after being placed in the cell, the man punched the steel cell-door frame with his right fist. As a result, he was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured metacarpal in his right hand.
Interim Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, it is evident that the man broke his right hand when, while housed in a cell of the BPS headquarters building, he punched the cell metal door frame. As the man alone is to blame for his injury, I am satisfied at this time that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned. Accordingly, this investigation is 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