News Release
SIU Discontinues St. Thomas Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-178
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred last month between St. Thomas Police Service (STPS) officers and a 24-year-old woman.
On August 1, 2019, STPS officers apprehended the woman under the Mental Health Act in the area of Talbot Street and Ross Street. The following day, the woman contacted STPS to report that her wrist had been broken and her pregnancy terminated in the course of her arrest at the hands of the police.
Interim Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries which included the review of medical records, it is apparent that the woman’s wrist was not broken and she was not pregnant at the time of her arrest. Consequently, as there are no “serious injuries” established, the matter falls outside the statutory mandate of the SIU and the investigation is hereby discontinued.”
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