News Release
SIU Investigates Injury in Hamilton
Case Number: 08-OCI-061
Other News Releases Related to Case 08-OCI-061
SIU Concludes Investigation Into The Use Of Taser By A Hamilton Police Service Officer
two investigators and one forensic investigator to probe the circumstances surrounding the injuries sustained by a 31-year-old man during his contact with Hamilton Police Service (HPS) officers yesterday evening.
On April 17, 2008, at 8:55 p.m. three officers from the HPS went to an apartment on Queenston Rd. in Hamilton in regards to a disturbance call. The officers located a man in an apartment, and during their interaction with him an officer discharged his Taser. A flammable object the man had in the waistband of his pants ignited. The man received non-life threatening burns. The man was transported to Hamilton General Hospital where he was admitted for treatment.
The SIU has designated one HPS officer as a subject officer and three as witness officers.
If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by an incident under SIU investigation and would like support, the Affected Persons Program is here to help. You can reach us at 1-877-641-1897. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7, every day of the year.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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