News Release
Man’s Injury in Cell was Self-Inflicted; SIU Discontinues Brantford Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-180
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained by a 21-year-old man last month while in a Brantford courthouse cell.
In the early afternoon hours of August 2, 2019, the man was at the Brantford courthouse awaiting his bail hearing. While in a cell, the man repeatedly punched the concrete walls. His actions resulted in a broken bone in his right hand.
Interim Director Martino said, “The SIU’s preliminary inquiries included a review of the video recording of the man’s time in cells. It is patently clear that the man is solely to blame for his self-inflicted injury, and as such, 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