News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into McTier Custody Injury
Case Number: 09-PCI-263
The SIU assigned three investigators along with two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances surrounding this incident.
The SIU investigation determined that during the early hours of October 9, 2009, one subject officer and three witness officers were looking for 31-year-old Thomas Blake Morrison in the McTier area after receiving information that he was distressed. The officers found him in a cemetery clutching on to a crossbow and lying in a prone position. Mr. Morrison and the officers spoke, and the officers slowly approached him. Mr. Morrison turned his head to motion toward one of the officers and accidentally discharged the trigger, resulting in a bolt firing into his facial area. He was taken the Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, where the bolt was surgically removed.
Director Scott said, "The police officers did not make physical contact with Mr. Morrison, and they were never closer than 10 to 15 feet from him at any point prior to discharge. On the basis of the complainant's recitation of these events with no evidence to the contrary, I am of the view that the subject officer had no direct involvement with this accidental discharge, and accordingly no liability may attach to her actions."
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