News Release
No Basis for Charges in Relation to Arrest of Man in Home Depot Parking Lot in Windsor
Case Number: 19-OCI-256
In the afternoon of October 29, 2019, a reportedly stolen SUV being operated by a 40-year-old man was under surveillance by officers with the Windsor Police Service officers. When the driver parked the SUV in a Home Depot parking lot, officers boxed it in to prevent the vehicle’s escape. The man put the SUV in motion and maneuvered it back and forth several times, striking police vehicles behind and in front of him, as officers yelled at him to stop and show his hands. The man was eventually removed from the vehicle and handcuffed. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and injuries.
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