News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Woman’s Fall from Roof of Ambulance Garage in Peterborough
Case Number: 20-OCI-027
Other News Releases Related to Case 20-OCI-027
SIU Investigating Woman’s Fall from Ambulance Garage in Peterborough
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the falling injury sustained by a 28-year-old woman earlier this month in Peterborough.
On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, the woman went to the Hunter Street Bridge with the intention of jumping off the bridge. Peterborough Police Service (PPS) officers attended and were successful in removing the woman from the bridge and transporting her to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
The woman was later discharged from the hospital. She went out onto the roof of the ambulance bay, but security personnel were able to convince her to come off the roof. Later, the woman returned to the roof and PPS officers were dispatched. One of the officers attempted to engage in dialogue with the woman. Shortly thereafter, the woman pushed herself from the roof and landed in a mound of snow and ice. She suffered a fractured right ankle as a result of the fall.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, it is apparent at this time that there are no grounds to believe that the officer who attempted to engage in conversation with the woman committed any criminal offence in connection with the woman’s injury. The officer had just arrived and asked the woman to safely descend from the rooftop when the woman fell from the roof of her own volition. In the circumstances, as there is patently nothing to investigate as far as any potential criminal liability on the part of the police is concerned, the investigation is hereby discontinued and the file is 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