News Release
SIU Discontinues Kingston Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-143
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an allegation made against a Kingston Police (KP) officer.
In February of 2019, during the course of another investigation, the SIU was made aware of a woman’s allegation that she had been physically abused by a KP officer. Investigators made multiple efforts to contact the woman and secure a statement from her, but this was of no avail.
Interim Director Martino said, “In the absence of a statement from the woman, there is currently an insufficient foundation from which to continue with an SIU investigation; indeed, the SIU cannot be sure whether the woman’s reported injuries amount to “serious injuries” for purposes of the SIU’s 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