News Release
SIU Completes Probe into North Bay Man's Injuries
Case Number: 07-OCI-250
Other News Releases Related to Case 07-OCI-250
The SIU assigned two investigators and a forensic investigator to probe the circumstances surrounding the injuries sustained by a 28-year-old North Bay man on December 15, 2007.
The SIU investigation determined that at 2:37 p.m. December 15, 2007, the NBPS was at a Main St. West address regarding a disturbance call. As a result of the investigation three officers moved in to arrest a man on a snow covered verandah of a home. When the officers attempted to take the man into custody he actively resisted the officers' attempts to take physical control of him. The officers began to "grapple' with the man in an attempt to control him. One officer delivered knee strikes to the man's lower body in an effort to gain his compliance. The man continued to struggle with the officers and eventually the man and one of the officers ended up face down on the floor of the verandah. The man was handcuffed and taken into custody. Both the man and the officer sustained non-life threatening injuries. They were both treated at hospital.
Director Cornish concluded, "The injury suffered by the man was unintentionally inflicted during the course of a lawful arrest where some use of force was justified. There is no reasonable basis to believe the amount of force used was unreasonable."
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