News Release
Lack of Cooperation by Woman Leads SIU to Close Brantford File
Case Number: 19-OCI-207
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the August 2019 apprehension of a 42-year-old woman by Brantford Police Service (BPS) officers.
On Wednesday, August 21, 2019, BPS officers apprehended the woman at her residence under the Mental Health Act and transported her to hospital. Two days later, the woman called BPS to report that she sustained an injury as a result of her apprehension.
When the SIU contacted the woman, she refused to speak to the investigator. Further attempts to contact the woman – attending her residence, a subsequent phone call and a couriered letter – were also of to no avail.
Director Martino said, “In the absence of the woman’s cooperation, the SIU is without foundation to proceed with an investigation of her purported injury. Indeed, the SIU is unable to confirm the injury itself and whether it falls within the SIU’s statutory mandate. Accordingly, 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