News Release
Man’s Fractured Leg in Ottawa a Result of Him Falling from Snowbank; No Basis to Lay Charges
Case Number: 19-OCI-049
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-OCI-049
On the morning of March 7, 2019, a 911 call was made reporting that a man had attempted to purchase merchandise with counterfeit money at the Herongate Mall in Ottawa. As a result, Ottawa Police Service (OPS) officers were dispatched to the scene. When the man saw an OPS officer, he fled out of the store and the officer pursued him on foot. The man scaled a snowbank, but collapsed to the ground on the other side of the snowbank. He was arrested. When it was apparent that he the man had injured his left leg, an ambulance transported him to hospital. The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges in this case.
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