News Release
Criminal Charges not Warranted in Relation to Man’s Arrest in Markham
Case Number: 19-OCI-195
On the night of August 15, 2019, a York Regional Police officer was on patrol in Markham when he observed a 37-year-old man, whom he knew to be wanted on several arrest warrants. The officer placed the man under arrest, during the course of which the man sustained a broken nose. 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 the man’s injury.
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