News Release
Unable to Confirm Serious Injury, SIU Discontinues Investigation into Man’s Arrest in Toronto
Case Number: 18-TCI-350
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-TCI-350
SIU Appealing for Witnesses to Man’s Arrest by Police in Toronto Apartment Lobby
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the December 2018 interaction between a 35-year-old man and Toronto Police Service (TPS) officers.
At approximately 8 p.m. on December 12, 2018, TPS officers attended an apartment building located at 300 Dufferin Street to investigate a domestic incident. Soon after leaving the apartment unit of interest, they encountered a man not related to their earlier investigation. There was an interaction between officers and the man. The man was arrested in the lobby and then transported to hospital for treatment of an injury.
Interim Director Martino said, “The SIU has made repeated efforts to arrange for an interview with the man and secure a reported cell phone video recording of the incident involving him and TPS officers on December 12, 2018, but to no avail. Those overtures have been made to the man, his mother, his lawyer and a family representative. In the circumstances, I am satisfied that there is an insufficient basis at this time to proceed with an investigation, particularly as the SIU has been unable to confirm that the man suffered a serious injury, 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