News Release
SIU Terminates London Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-137
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained earlier this month by a 38-year-old man in London.
At approximately 9 p.m. on June 16, 2019, a London Police Service officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Sanders Street and Hamilton Road. The driver of the vehicle exited the vehicle and then fled into the rear yard of a residence. When the man jumped over a fence, he felt pain when he landed. The man continued to flee by foot but was located soon after by police. The man was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with having a fractured left ankle.
Interim Director Martino said, “It is apparent based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of the officers who interacted with the complainant is concerned. The evidence establishes that the man fractured his left ankle when, while fleeing on foot from the police following a traffic stop, he jumped over a residential fence and landed on it. No officer was near him at the time. On this record, it is obvious that the man’s injury was not caused by any police officer in any fashion that could attract criminal liability. 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