News Release
SIU Terminates Sioux Lookout Investigation
Case Number: 19-PCI-297
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained in November by a 22-year-old man in Sioux Lookout.
On November 29, 2019, Sioux Lookout Police Service officers were dispatched to a Tim Hortons after receiving a report of an altercation. Upon arrival, officers arrested a man and transported him to the police station. While lodged in a cell, the man fell twice from his bed to the ground. A few days later, the man reported that he had sustained a jaw injury.
Director Martino said, “The SIU obtained and reviewed video recordings from the Tim Hortons and from the man’s time at the detachment. Based on the information derived from these preliminary inquiries, it is evident that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned in relation to the man’s reported injury.
“If the man’s injury occurred at the Tim Hortons, as appears likely to have been the case given the altercation caught on the recording between the man and another individual, then clearly no police officer was responsible as none were present.
“If, on the other hand, the man was injured while in custody, there is nothing in the cell video recording to suggest any untoward conduct or want of care on the part of the police. Rather, the injury is likely to have been self-inflicted in the course of one or the other of the man’s falls, or both, captured by the recording. In either event, as I am satisfied at this time that there is no question of criminal liability on the part of a police officer in connection with the man’s injury, 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