News Release
No Basis to Lay Charges in Relation to Dog Bite Injuries to Man in Norfolk County
Case Number: 18-PCI-317
On the night of October 25, 2018, Ontario Provincial Police officers were dispatched to a residence in Norfolk County after receiving a call about suspicious individuals in and around the residence. With the help of a police service dog, officers located some individuals of interest. The dog bit one of those individuals – a 23-year-old man – twice, resulting in him sustaining serious injuries. The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against the dog’s handler.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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