News Release
No Criminal Wrongdoing Found in Relation to Collision Between Motorcycle and Police SUV in West Lincoln
Case Number: 19-OVI-205
On August 24, 2019, a Niagara Regional Police Service officer was conducting speed enforcement in West Lincoln when he observed a motorcycle traveling westbound on Silver Street at a high rate of speed. The officer radioed this information to another officer. When the second officer motioned the 39-year-old motorcyclist to pull over, the man made a U-turn and accelerated away. Shortly thereafter, the motorcycle struck the first officer’s vehicle, which had been positioned across the eastbound lanes of traffic. The man was ejected from the motorcycle and transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with serious injuries. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with 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