News Release
Man to Blame for Fall that Resulted in Broken Leg; SIU Terminates Brampton Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-232
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred last month between an 18-year-old male and Peel Regional Police (PRP) officers in Brampton.
In the evening hours of September 19, 2019, the 18-year-old was wanted by PRP on suspicion that he was involved in a gunpoint robbery of another individual hours earlier. PRP tracked his location to an apartment unit in the area of Clark Boulevard and Bramalea Road. When officers knocked on the door intending to effect his arrest, the man attempted to escape apprehension through the bedroom window. In so doing, he fell to the ground below. Approximately five minutes after his fall, officers located the man, took him into custody and had him transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured left leg.
Interim Director Martino said, “It is apparent based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries that there are no grounds giving rise to potential criminal liability on the part of any police officer or officers in relation to the man’s injury. Without seeing any police officer inside the residence but panicked by their presence outside the door, the man left the unit of his own volition and has only himself to blame for the fall that broke his leg. Consequently, 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